The labour and resource use requirements of a good life for all

We use multi-regional input–output analysis to calculate the paid labour, energy, emissions, and material use required to provide basic needs for all people. We calculate two different low-consumption scenarios, using the UK as a case study: (1) a “decent living” scenario, which includes only the bare necessities, and (2) a “good life” scenario, based on the minimum living standards demanded by UK residents. We compare the resulting footprints to the current footprint of the UK, and to the footprints of the US, China, India, and a global average. Labour footprints are disaggregated by sector, skill level, and region of origin.

We find that neither low-consumption scenario provides a realistic path to providing a good life for all. While the decent living scenario would require only an 18-hour working week, and on a per capita basis, 35 GJ of energy use, 4.0 tonnes of emissions, and 5.5 tonnes of materials per year, it fails to provide essential needs. The good life scenario encompasses these needs, but would require a 46-hour working week, 73 GJ of energy use, 7.5 tonnes of emissions, and 13.2 tonnes of materials per capita. Both scenarios represent substantial reductions from the UK’s current labour footprint of 65 hours per week, which the UK is only able to sustain by importing a substantial portion of its labour from other countries. We conclude that limiting consumption to the level of basic needs is not enough to achieve sustainability. Substantial changes to provisioning systems are also required.