Sufficiency strategy sorely needed for Germany to tackle energy transition faster and at lower cost – report

Germany should develop a binding strategic framework for "good enough", in the form of a national sufficiency strategy, to reduce emissions as well as energy and raw material consumption, a group of three research institutes said in report. Sufficiency approaches in the housing, mobility, food and agriculture, and consumption sectors in particular hold great potential for making systems more resilient quicker and at a lesser cost, according to the Europa-Universität Flensburg, the Wuppertal Institute and the Öko-Institut.

"Only when sufficiency is no longer understood as an individual decision but as a political design task can its full potential for climate protection, social justice and resilience be realised," the researchers wrote. Sufficiency, they said, goes beyond the frequent debate on doing without, and is essential for achieving social and ecological goals.

Sufficiency in the buildings sector, for example, would mean making better use of existing building space, with better distribution (relocations, conversions and sublets) going a long way in easing the housing shortage. In mobility, it could be promoted through car-sharing schemes or by prioritising active mobility. In agriculture, better incentives for farmers are needed, while supermarkets could tackle food waste by reducing prices of items near their sell-by dates. In the consumption sector, promoting a "sharing culture" by municipalities for items rarely used could promote sufficiency, as could regulations, such as the "right to repair".

The researchers said there is a wide toolbox for promoting sufficiency policy – including the design of infrastructures, availability of services, regulations and incentive systems that enable sufficient behaviour – but added that what is missing is an overarching strategy and the political will to implement it.

"Many politicians do not dare to tackle sufficiency because they are afraid of being punished at the next election," said Jonas Lage, research associate at the Europa-Universität Flensburg. "Yet, there are examples at many political levels of successful, smoothly functioning sufficiency policies with a high level of approval."

Sufficiency policy should create the framework conditions in which a reduction does not mean sacrifice, but rather empowerment, liberation and enrichment, the authors concluded. Reaching the climate targets would only be possible with a new sufficiency approach, German government advisors said in 2024.