Exploring social acceptability of energy sufficiency policies

Energy sufficiency is increasingly recognized as a crucial component in achieving carbon neutrality and reducing human pressure on natural ecosystems. France has incorporated sufficiency as a key pillar of its energy transition, aiming for a 50% reduction in final energy consumption by 2050. While there is growing interest in sufficiency policies, it remains unclear whether there is social acceptance of the proposed measures. This paper employs an exploratory study and Q-method analysis to investigate the acceptability of sufficiency policies. Three distinct sufficiency strategies are identified: monitored sufficiency, symbiotic sufficiency and governed sufficiency. Our study shows that, while sufficiency measures are conceived as overarching policy tools, their acceptance by populations is far from guaranteed. We demonstrate that the level of acceptability is dependent on a number of individual parameters, including the level of maturity with regard to sufficiency practices, or personal values. Moreover, while policies based on governed sufficiency are more widely accepted, radical measures associated with symbiotic sufficiency appear to face greater resistance. These results offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to balance political ambition with public acceptance in sufficiency strategies, suggesting that these should be adapted to local contexts and individual capacities.