Sufficiency - from obligation to opportunity

Sufficiency as a third and essential pillar complementary to efficiency and consistency can contribute substantially to the mitigation of climate change, provided the inherent potential for the transformation of production as well as consumption patterns can be unlocked. In Germany, however, the term is often associated with restriction policies and triggers fears of loss in the citizens. Yet, if sufficiency practices are understood as a right to be guaranteed by the state instead of individual choices and the personal benefits of a sufficient livelihood become clear, a positive narrative of sufficiency can be introduced in order to overcome (perceived) transition barriers. At the example of three conceivable sufficiency rights from the mobility and housing sectors, the structures needed to facilitate sufficient livelihoods as well as the barriers by jurisdiction and the respective regulatory framework are investigated. The selected examples are used to illustrate the effects that e.g., a car-centric mobility policy, a great variation in tenancy agreements or a local supply system aimed exclusively at maximising economic efficiency have on the care economy and how costs are externalised to the private sector as a result. In addition, the gender dimension of this structural generation of demand is addressed, as the people affected by this are predominantly female. However, solutions can also be identified that create freedom instead of restricting it. For instance, routes to school that children can cover independently and safely not only create freedom of time for carers, but also freedom of movement for other vulnerable groups. Facilitating changes of residence relieves the burden on people after the family phase in particular, reduces the pressure to build new housing and enables more people to live in an adequate housing situation. Mobility services, especially in rural areas, that protect people from mobility poverty, enable them to live independently and participate in society. Retailers also benefit from the additional customers. This paper points out how adequate political measures and planning ground rules backed by an appropriate legal framework can facilitate sufficiency at all levels of society.