A life cycle analysis of living: Measuring behaviour and the impact of dwelling rather than the dwelling alone

<p>This research addresses the need for a more sustainable way of living by arguing that the current approach to green architecture, limited by the current criteria, needs to be refined in response to the needs of the finite world. In comparison with earlier ways of living, modern society has a large dependence on technology. This dependence only further reinforces the overall detrimental environmental impacts of human behaviour. The original contribution to knowledge this thesis contributes is to establish the effect of behaviour on the total impact of a dwelling by measuring behaviour in the act of dwelling in New Zealand households. The thesis maps human behaviour; first looking at global practices and raw materials extraction: and second New Zealand's interaction with the global market. The inherent relationship between manufacturing nations and countries like New Zealand entails an indirect link revealing how international policies can be influenced by the average New Zealand household. By means of an in-depth life cycle assessment, approximately 400 households are examined to identify the embodied energy in the act of dwelling, including ownership of the various household items that use finite raw materials in both operation and manufacture. This research identifies the existence of crucial "Hidden Emissions" that are currently not considered in national and international CO₂ accounting methods. This research also identifies the links between appliance ownership, its usage and how these vary for different types of appliances. The outcome of this research posits, first, a theoretical framework for establishing impact as a result of behaviour, dubbed the “Effect on Operation” formulae, making it possible to measure behaviour in total emissions and how this impacts climate change. Second, this work identifies key changes in both the energy generation sector and in household behaviour to meet current emissions reduction targets. The hypothetical reduction scenarios presented in this thesis identify the possibility of a prospective change in the relative importance of embodied energy when compared to the impact of operational energy. This reveals a possible future in which embodied energy may well account for over sixty per cent of total emissions associated with household behaviour, suggesting several avenues for further research.</p>

The Role Financial Literacy and Financial Planning to Increase Financial Resilience: Household Behaviour as Mediating Variable

<p>This study aims to examine the effect of spatial literacy and financial planning by using household behavior as a mediator. The testing uses a mediation process using Smart PLS 3.0. Respondents were collected using an online survey using a simple random sampling technique. The number of respondents used in this study was 102 respondents. Based on the results of data processing, financial literacy on financial resilience is not supported. Meanwhile, the effect of financial literacy on financial resilience by mediating household behavior is accepted. The hypothesis of financial planning on financial resilience is not supported. However, the effect of financial planning on financial resilience with household behavior as mediation is supported. This research provides theoretical and practical contributions which will also be discussed further in this paper.</p>

Intra-Household Bargaining in Poor Countries

This chapter assesses the relevance of the collective model for the analysis of households in poor countries. As an economic unit, a household creates the possibility of mutual gains for spouses thanks to the possibility of joint consumption of public goods, risk sharing, etc. The collective model assumes that households behave efficiently, in the sense that there is no misallocation or waste of household resources, given the outside options of each spouse. This chapter bridges the theoretical literature describing efficient intra-household behaviour and the development literature that collects empirical regularities pointing toward the existence of strategic decision making among spouses. It examines the key elements of the collective model and discusses its relevance to analysing intra-household behaviour in poor countries. It explores the role that risk and uncertainty, information asymmetries, power imbalances, arranged marriages, strategic investment, gender norms, and extended households play in the attainment of efficiency.

The Economic Potential to Support Sustainability through Household Consumption Choices

The amount of money that could potentially be saved by households by reducing unnecessary consumption and directed to sustainable investments without compromising the social needs in Finnish households was studied. The study was conducted by using statistical data and by creating short- and long-term scenarios to assess potential savings resulting from changes in household behaviour. According to the results, a Finnish household could save and subsequently allocate an average of €3400–€15,000 annually to invest in sustainability. The greatest potential for preventing unnecessary consumption is related to (1) food and drinks, and (2) transportation. In the long-term scenario, reducing expenditures in the category of housing also provides opportunities for high savings. A significant share of the saving created by sustainable patterns of consumption can be directed for example to investments in renewable energy.