Energy sobriety: the solution to the ecological crisis?

What if the watchword for tackling the ecological crisis were sobriety? In a society of ever-growing consumption, a new model is emerging: the model of less. Consuming less, better and differently.

In this article, we answer all the questions you may have about energy sobriety.

What is energy sobriety?

Energy sobriety aims to reduce our energy consumption by changing and adapting our behaviors and lifestyles, both individually and collectively.

Energy sobriety is a voluntary reduction of one's energy consumption in order to reduce one's impact on the environment or on health. For example, individual energy sobriety means limiting car journeys, buying local products, limiting the number of electronic devices you own, and so on.

The term sobriety stands in opposition to the overconsumption we know today, with the proliferation of energy-hungry devices, international flows of goods, the culture of buying new, fast fashion...

The goal of energy sobriety is part of a degrowth approach. It is one of the 3 main pillars of the ecological transition (along with energy efficiency and renewable energy). 

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What are the different areas of energy sobriety?

Energy sobriety is still not widely practiced today, because it requires bigger changes in everyday behaviors and lifestyles than the other pillars of the ecological transition.

In its report, the Labo de l’ESS (a French think tank on the social and solidarity economy) highlights different aspects of energy sobriety, to be adopted both collectively and individually.

Sobriety at home

In France, the number of IT devices per household has been rising since 2014. Almost 100% of 16 to 44 year olds own a mobile phone (source: Insee). The growing number of procedures that must be completed online only accelerates the need to own IT equipment.

Sobriety at home therefore means limiting the number of devices per household, switching off devices that are not in use and reducing one's digital consumption.

Sobriety at home also includes food sobriety: buying local products and favoring short supply chains.

Finally, it also covers everyday eco-friendly habits: sorting waste for recycling, saving water, reducing single-use plastic...

Sobriety in daily transport

Sobriety in daily transport particularly concerns the commute between home and work, for which people are often alone in their vehicle. Several alternatives exist: public transport, cycling, carpooling or remote work.

Sobriety at work

Sobriety at work means applying the principles of sobriety at home within companies: reducing energy consumption, eco-friendly habits, reducing waste...

This is particularly part of implementing strong CSR approaches with concrete objectives.

Sobriety in everyday leisure

Sobriety in leisure activities mainly aims to reduce the consumption of goods: buying less new, favoring local and committed producers (as opposed to fast fashion brands), turning to second-hand, used and refurbished items, favoring bartering and swapping...

Collective sobriety

To make energy sobriety measures easier to implement, local authorities and the government have a role to play.

At national level: adapting legislation, supporting energy sobriety players, investing in ecological transition projects...

At local level: expanding public transport, promoting short supply chains, improving waste management...

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How does energy sobriety reduce your environmental impact?

Energy sobriety is sustainable, because it changes collective and individual behaviors and lifestyles.

In the face of the environmental crisis, only a change in behavior will limit the impacts on our societies. Energy sobriety aims to change the way we do things in order to find a new, fairer and more sustainable balance.

How can your company adopt more energy sobriety?

By implementing a CSR strategy, you can introduce various energy sobriety actions with your employees, aimed at changing habits.

From a collective point of view, energy sobriety in companies means analyzing how your organization operates in order to optimize your resources: limiting IT devices to what is strictly necessary, removing or recovering the value of unused devices, adapting your vehicle fleet, analyzing the energy consumption of your real estate...

Leasetic helps you find the most relevant solutions for your organization by analyzing and optimizing the value of your IT, vehicle and real estate resources... So you can reduce your energy consumption while cutting your costs!

Contact one of our experts today to discuss it!  

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