Can we live better while consuming less? Translating the French ‘sufficiency’ concept to Adelaide
To ‘build a bigger and better Adelaide’ seems the prevailing mindset, while we tout our leadership in renewables and seek to host COP31. But David Ness asks can we have our cake and eat it too, when overconsumption may be our undoing?
A movement towards sufficiency and making better use of existing resources is quietly gathering momentum here, via a French connection.
At first, “sufficiency” (sobriety) may conjure up images of frugality and going without, but that is a misconception. Rather, it is about finding ways to live better with “enough” while consuming our fair share of resources.
An impossibility, you may wonder, but France is showing the way via its 2015 Energy Sufficiency Law and policies towards an ecological transition.
President Emmanuele Macron expounds the benefits of “sufficiency and fairness”, while Paris – led by its Mayor Anne Hidalgo ‑ pursues cycling, pedestrianisation, and restoring nature to the city, with health and other benefits. In addition, the Paris 2024 Olympics made 95 per cent use of existing or temporary sites, resulting in 50 per cent less emissions than previous games.
At a time of burgeoning state debt and our ambition to host COP31, it is surely time to cast our eyes towards EU innovations – France in particular.
By embracing the concept of sufficiency to complement existing policies in renewables and circularity, we can draw upon our modest size, egalitarianism and togetherness, to differentiate ourselves from high consuming, over-developed cities and become a regional exemplar.
The importance of sufficiency
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Rather than being seen as a fascinating option, sufficiency has been shown to be fundamental to our survival.
Its importance in climate mitigation was emphasised in the IPCC 2022 Report, which urged urgent and dramatic cuts in emissions by introducing sufficiency policies and practices. These would seek to avoid demand for energy, materials, land and water, while ensuring wellbeing for all, within planetary boundaries.
With the potential to cut emissions by up to 17 per cent, while complementing increases in renewables and energy efficiency, sufficiency was seen as critical in containing global warming to 1.5 Degrees C.
This is not just a fanciful ambition. France is currently on track to reduce its emissions by 10 per cent by 2030 via sufficiency practices alone, with the buy-in of citizens. This is led by climate change director Diane Simiu who champions “sufficiency first” policies and calls for a “sufficiency reflex”.
Transformation of Paris.
Whilst reducing carbon emissions may be the main driver, social justice and fairness are at the heart of the sufficiency concept, which also seeks to address severe disparity in global resource consumption, where the wealthiest 10 per cent are responsible for over 50 per cent of consumption-related emissions. These include those embodied in the production and consumption of goods, clothing, transport and buildings, which are frequently overlooked.
Reducing overconsumption within Australia (with the highest per person in the world) and other G20 countries, while rebalancing with emerging economies that need more resources, is critical not only in cutting carbon, but also global equity, addressing biodiversity loss and meeting other United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Our journey so far
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Collaboration with IPCC lead author Dr Yamina Saheb, who introduced sufficiency in the IPCC 2022 report, was the catalyst for beginning this journey.
Adelaide occupies a unique, leading position as the co-host of the 1st International Sufficiency Summit in May 2023.
An audience at UniSA, drawn from policymakers and industry, connected with counterparts at the prestigious Sciences Po Paris and speakers from around the globe. Notably, the Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Dr Jane Lomax-Smith, and the SA Deputy Premier, Dr Susan Close, highlighted our credentials, including adaptive reuse and renewables.
This led to the launch of the World Sufficiency Lab (WSL), Paris, hosted by Sciences Po. The online event explained the WSL aims to increase knowledge of the sufficiency concept and foster policy changes appropriate to regional contexts. Again, Adelaide is in pole position, with our Lord Mayor having again extolled our sustainability advantages.
What can we build upon?
City of Adelaide’s leadership via the Adaptive Reuse City Housing Initiative (ARCHI) can provide a platform upon which to build an understanding of sufficiency, leading to further collaboration with France and potential policy changes.
To this end, a Workshop on Sufficiency and Adaptive Reuse was held in May, supported by AFRAN. Architects, planners, builders, regulators and academics gathered at the Adelaide office of Hames Sharley to discuss how adaptive reuse could be extended to Adelaide’s many vacant offices and properties for housing and other functions.
Among a series of recommendations, the group called for adaptive reuse to be the first option considered before redevelopment. This aligns with French/EU approaches, which begin with making better use of existing space by retrofitting and reuse, while new builds are the least preferred option.
Where to now?
The potential to establish an Australian Sufficiency Lab, hosted by the new Adelaide University, is currently under consideration. Not only may this connect Adelaide with the WSL and its global network, but also with the influential Sciences Po Paris that hosts the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition. A gateway to EU and global innovations and partnership opportunities.
David Ness is a co-founder of the World Sufficiency Lab, Paris, and an Adjunct Professor at UniSA (soon to be Adelaide University).
