Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/306820 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 245/2024
Publisher: 
Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE), Berlin
Abstract: 
Given the empirical evidence showing the crucial role of income distribution and excessive consumption of richer households in determining greenhouse gas emissions, understanding their connection becomes especially important. Building on the distinction between subsistence and luxury emissions, we study where to intervene in reducing non-essential emissions. In doing so, we are able to connect the double role of luxury goods. Together with surplus production of other wage-goods, they are the reason why profits exist, but they are also the major constituent of wasteful luxury consumption and, hence, major drivers of consumer-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Among the three different scenarios ('greener consumption', 'reformist', and 'just transition') we depict, only the just transition is a viable option to respect both social and environmental boundaries.
Subjects: 
rate of profit
luxury goods
GHG emissions
just transition
climate change
JEL: 
Q57
Q52
B24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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