Existing demand-side climate change mitigation policies neglect avoid options

Author(s)

Alina Brad, Etienne Schneider, Christian Dorninger, Willi Haas, Carolin Hirt, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Simone Gingrich

Abstract

Demand-side options are increasingly recognized for their potential to mitigate climate change while reducing reliance on novel carbon dioxide removal. However, systematic analyses of implemented demand-side mitigation policy mixes remain scarce, compromising assessment and exploration of effective and feasible demand-side policies. Here, we provide a multilevel analysis of the evolution, composition, and foci of demand-side mitigation policy mixes in the transport and housing sector from 1995 to 2024, focusing on the EU, the federal Austrian level and two provincial levels (Vienna, Lower Austria). Our high-resolution policy database features 356 demand-side measures, systematically classified according to policy target, instrument type, and the avoid-shift-improve framework. We find that existing policy mixes heavily rely on shift and improve measures, critically neglecting mitigation potentials of avoid options as well as certain policy areas. This suggests an urgent need to broaden demand-side policy mixes and explore strategies that increase the political feasibility of avoid options.

Organisation(s)

Department of Political Science, Department of Development Studies, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology

External organisation(s)

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences

Journal

Communications Earth and Environment

Volume

6

ISSN

2662-4435

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02800-5

Publication date

12-2025

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

506010 Policy analysis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science, General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/e02f92e1-2620-4841-92e0-11d123c5a6fa