Municipalities have a unique opportunity to deliver mitigation options in addition to national action.

As stated in the c40 Cities Report – The Future of Urban Consumption in a 1.5C World: Municipalities can clearly reduce their direct emissions as well as have a role in reducing the emissions that occur outside their borders, as a consequence of consumption.

When aiming to reduce a municipality’s impact on climate change, it is crucial to take into account consumption measurements in order to account for the climate impact around the lifetime of goods or services.

A study conducted by SINTEF and NTNU, together with the International Labor Organization (ILO), shows that the circular economy does not lead to unemployment, but in fact, a scenario with higher circular economy measures will lead to a 2.5% increase in jobs by 2030 compared to a “business-as-usual” scenario.

Initial research7 indicates that an increase in the sharing economy in Norway and the redistribution of spending toward services could have positive effects on Norwegian employment and the economy; with some of the jobs shifting from low-and medium-skilled male workers overseas to an increase in demand for jobs that are currently occupied by medium- and high-skilled female workers locally.

Cutting consumption-based emissions will deliver wider benefits for a municipality and its residents. Individuals, businesses, NGOs and city governments all stand to gain if changes are delivered in the right way.

The use of physical resources in any society creates both positive and negative social, economic and environmental effects.

Communication about the long-term goal, the preliminary project, survey and next steps includes providing an understanding to all stakeholders whether they are individuals or organizations, that the better we understand their needs, the better we can help them.

In order to do so, introducing the key concepts, problems and strategies related to consumption and sharing is key. Establishing new relationships with and between stakeholders is essential; and clear strategies for utilizing project results is a focal point.