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Topic

Sufficiency —

How much do we really need for a good life? Which services and infrastructures enable a sufficient standard of living, consumption, or nutrition?

The challenges

Sufficiency for more sustainability

The concept of sufficiency promotes prosperity and quality of life without the constant growth of resource consumption. The idea of “more and more” is replaced by “enough” or “the right amount.” Sufficiency advocates for the reduction of energy and resource use, aiming to enable a good life within ecological limits.

The increasing consumption of energy and materials, the wasteful use of products, and a high dependency on fossil fuels represent lifestyles of non-sufficiency. These practices contribute to the depletion of natural resources and exacerbate global crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

“Improving efficiency reduces the costs of products and services, often leading to increased consumption. Due to these rebound effects, sufficiency strategies are a crucial element on the way to sustainability.”

Dr. Immanuel Stieß, Head of the Practices and Infrastructures Hub
Our research

Pathways to greater sufficiency

Sufficiency involves both changing individual behavior and creating innovative offerings, such as redesigning production methods and infrastructures that enable sufficiency-oriented behavior in the first place. This applies to everyday behaviors, municipal public services, and business activities.

We develop concepts for resource-efficient living, consumption, and nutrition. Through our research, we create spaces for learning and experience, demonstrating how institutional and organizational conditions can be established to enable and support sufficient actions. A key question in this process is how to ensure social participation for vulnerable groups in essential public services such as housing, mobility, and nutrition.

Featured Project

SuPraStadt II – Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods
Sufficiency Transformation

SuPraStadt II – Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods

In three real-world laboratories, SuPraStadt II is investigating how the needs of residents in the fields of housing, open space and mobility can be reconciled with the ecological requirements of sustainability.

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News

  • Heat pumps as a contribution to energy independence and climate protection: how their implementation can succeed
    News Sufficiency

    Heat pumps as a contribution to energy independence and climate protection: how their implementation can succeed

    In order to achieve its climate goals and move towards more energy independence, the German government is planning a 100-billion-euro support package. In that context, the CO2 reduction targets for existing buildings are coming into focus. There is great potential in the provision of space heating and hot water supply alone: Energy-efficient heat pumps can support the shift from fossil fuels and contribute to more energy independence. For this to happen, however, the number of heat pumps must increase dramatically – from currently one million to approximately four to six million by 2030. Energy experts from the ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research have investigated what hinders the wide-scale deployment of this technology and how barriers can be overcome.

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  • transform-R – Shaping the energy and mobility transition as a socio-ecological transformation in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region
    Sufficiency Mobility Transformation

    transform-R – Shaping the energy and mobility transition as a socio-ecological transformation in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region

    The mobility transition requires cooperation between political, civil society and economic players. Innovative measures and social innovations are being tested in real-world laboratories.

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  • SuPraStadt II – Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods
    Sufficiency Transformation

    SuPraStadt II – Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods

    In three real-world laboratories, SuPraStadt II is investigating how the needs of residents in the fields of housing, open space and mobility can be reconciled with the ecological requirements of sustainability.

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  • TRI-HP – Trigeneration systems based on multiple renewable sources
    Sufficiency Transformation

    TRI-HP – Trigeneration systems based on multiple renewable sources

    The EU project TRI-HP is investigating the social acceptance and requirements of innovative trigeneration systems in order to make renewable energy technology for residential buildings user-friendly and effective.

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  • SuPraStadt – Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods
    Transformation Sufficiency

    SuPraStadt – Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods

    The SuPraStadt research project is investigating in three real-world laboratories how the needs of residents in the fields of housing, open space and mobility can be reconciled with the ecological requirements of sustainability.

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  • Environmental awareness in Germany 2020
    Sufficiency

    Environmental awareness in Germany 2020

    In a qualitative study, ISOE maps perceptions and attitudes in society towards climate change and climate protection.

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  • Kommunikationskampagnen für nachhaltigen Konsum und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe
    Transformation Sufficiency

    Kommunikationskampagnen für nachhaltigen Konsum und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe

    In collaboration with students and lecturers from the Master's degree course in Communication Design at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, six communication campaigns were created to appeal to young people for sustainable consumption.

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  • BioFAVOR II – Low-tech recycling of faeces from decentralised sources
    Sufficiency

    BioFAVOR II – Low-tech recycling of faeces from decentralised sources

    The research network in the BioFAVOR II project demonstrates the technical feasibility of a novel low-tech process for converting faeces from composting toilets into products that are hygienically and ecologically safe.

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  • Scientific coordination of the funding initiative „An environmentally and socially compatible transformation of the German energy system”
    Sufficiency

    Scientific coordination of the funding initiative „An environmentally and socially compatible transformation of the German energy system”

    Since 2013 a total of 33 collaborative research projects are dealing with various aspects of an “Environmentally and socially compatible transformation of the German energy system”. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has included this initiative into the funding priority Social-Ecological Research (SÖF) and has assigned the Öko-Institut together with the ISOE with the coordination of the funding initiative.
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  • Approaches to long-term effective power saving advice
    Sufficiency

    Approaches to long-term effective power saving advice

    Previously tested instruments for saving electricity are to be disseminated in the electricity-saving advice project and combined with advice services offered by local authorities and consumer organizations. 

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  • Climate CO2NTEST – Acceptance and impact of the competition in the Hanover region
    Sufficiency

    Climate CO2NTEST – Acceptance and impact of the competition in the Hanover region

    The competition “Climate CO2NTEST” has the goal to support local and regional climate protection activities of cities and communities. It also encourages private households to practice climate-friendly behavior in everyday life. ISOE is evaluating the project on behalf of the Climate Protection Agency Hanover Region.
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  • Power efficiency classes for households
    Sufficiency

    Power efficiency classes for households

    In the project, researchers from ISOE and the German Öko-Institut are developing new approaches to reduce power consumption in households. The new “power efficiency classes” label will be recording power consumption in households and assigning them an efficiency class.
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  • IndUK – Individual environmental action and climate protection
    Sufficiency

    IndUK – Individual environmental action and climate protection

    The IndUK project pools results from SÖF projects on climate protection and change, promotes knowledge transfer and develops practical strategies for climate-friendly behavior.

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  • KlimaAlltag – low carbon lifestyles in the zero emissions city
    Sufficiency

    KlimaAlltag – low carbon lifestyles in the zero emissions city

    The 'KlimaAlltag' project is investigating low carbon lifestyles in different social strata. The focus is on mobility, nutrition, home living and household energy consumption.
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  • Intelliekon – Acceptance of Electricity Consumption Feedback
    Sufficiency

    Intelliekon – Acceptance of Electricity Consumption Feedback

    Within the Intelliekon project, ISOE, together with two Fraunhofer institutes (ISE and ISI) and nine energy suppliers, is investigating the impact of intelligent electricity meters.
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  • EcoLux – Sustainable Building and Housing in Luxemburg
    Sufficiency

    EcoLux – Sustainable Building and Housing in Luxemburg

    In a social-ecological expertise, ISOE investigated ways in which the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg could reconcile its goals for climate, housing and social policy.
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  • Analysis of Job Prospects in Energy Saving Advice
    Sufficiency

    Analysis of Job Prospects in Energy Saving Advice

    In the project, ISOE analysed the potential benefits for the labour market arising from the Cariteam-Energiesparservice (energy-saving service).
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  • Evaluation of the Cariteam Energy Saving Service
    Sufficiency

    Evaluation of the Cariteam Energy Saving Service

    ISOE evaluated the Cariteam-Energiesparservice of Caritas Frankfurt e.V. For this purpose, the team conducted empirical surveys of those households that received advice with a view to investigating satisfaction and acceptance.
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  • Smart Home from a Customer's Perspective
    Sufficiency

    Smart Home from a Customer's Perspective

    In a market-research study, ISOE surveyed private and commercial customers to find out how they rate the benefits of Smart Home.
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  • Analysis of the Program "Bremer modernisieren"
    Sufficiency

    Analysis of the Program "Bremer modernisieren"

    ISOE was commissioned by Bremer Energie-Konsens GmbH to evaluate the "Bremer modernisieren" (Bremer modernise) funding initiative on energy-efficient building renovation.
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  • Efficient Advice on Electricity Consumption in Private Households
    Sufficiency

    Efficient Advice on Electricity Consumption in Private Households

    Efficient advice on electricity consumption in private households
    The project team developed an "informative electricity bill" for energy suppliers which it pilot tested in Heidelberg.
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  • Evaluation of the "Brennpunkt Heizung" (Focus Heating) Campaign
    Sufficiency

    Evaluation of the "Brennpunkt Heizung" (Focus Heating) Campaign

    ISOE evaluated the "Die Alte muss raus" campaign run by the Bremen-based company Energie-Konsens GmbH. The team examined the motivational barriers and obstacles preventing the renewal of heating systems.
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  • Improving Energy-Efficient Refurbishment of Private Homes
    Sufficiency

    Improving Energy-Efficient Refurbishment of Private Homes

    On behalf of the German Energy Agency, the team developed a conceptual basis with which to promote the energy-efficient modernisation of detached and semi-detached houses.
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  • ecobiente - Designing Sustainable Goods more Succesfully
    Sufficiency

    ecobiente - Designing Sustainable Goods more Succesfully

    The project team of ecobiente accompanied businesses from the construction and housing sectors in developing products on the basis of ecological and target-group specific criteria.
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  • Sustainable Modernisation of Existing Buildings
    Sufficiency

    Sustainable Modernisation of Existing Buildings

    In conjunction with a housing association, a concept was developed for the sustainable renovation of selected housing developments built in the 1950s and 1960s. The pilot settlements are the Hans-Böckler housing estate with 368 residential units in Offenbach along with 241 residential units in the Bad Soden "Musicians' District", and a further 202 residential units on an estate in Bad Soden-Neuenhain.
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  • Improvement of Marketing Conditions for Green Electricity
    Sufficiency

    Improvement of Marketing Conditions for Green Electricity

    In a social scientific research study, the team examined how the Bremen-based company Energie-Konsens GmbH could improve marketing conditions for green electricity. Along the lines of a lifestyle oriented qualitative social research study, scientists at ISOE surveyed the attitudes of the electricity customers in the course of focus groups and qualitative face-to-face interviews.
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