Sustainable Consumption: Leisure Time or Income? Individuals? preferences and effects on consumption patterns

Abstract: During the next years, environmental pressures due to consumption are expected to continue increasing, driven by per capita income increases and resource intensive lifestyles. Although significant income and consumption increases have been experienced, the average level of subjective well being has remained stable over time. This research explores the individual's choice between income and material goods over leisure time in affluent societies. It considers an analysis of working preferences and subjective well being. Within this context, it attempts to identify possible policy options. The choice seems to be influenced mainly by a rise of material aspirations and the not easy way to ?choose? how many hours to work. Working time reductions preferences are generally not easy to achieve, but the existence of collective bargaining helps. Moreover it is observed a constant rise in material aspirations, which provides a sense of insatiability. Furthermore, it appears to exist a strong association in the society between income and material goods with quality of life measures, disregarding non material aspects of well being. In general, sustainable consumption policies are not focused on the volume aspect of consumption, but mainly on the product quality.