Mitigating the sustainability challenges related to agriculture and ensuring adequate availability of nutritious food requires an increase in the use of sustainable alternative protein sources. Edible insects are considered to be a sustainable protein source and a possible substitute for meat. There are many readily available edible insect species with many competing utilization possibilities, which, from the producers’ perspective, increases the complexity of the area. Through a consumer survey and expert interviews, this study recognizes four pathways to increasing the use of edible insects in Western countries and especially in Finland where the survey and interviews were conducted: (1) producing a variety of insect-based food products, especially food products where insects are not recognizable as such and the food is in a familiar form; (2) producing edible insect food products which could replace greenhouse gas emission-intensive animal proteins; (3) focusing on the price, taste, and availability of insect food; and (4) using insects as animal feed. Our findings provide information on the prospects of the studied pathways in terms of consumption and production. Technological development is expected to decrease the price of insect-based food products, but at the same time, the increased use of edible insects faces challenges related to eating habits, contradictory perceptions about the sustainability implications of insect farming, and the availability of insect-based products.

Willow biochar can help to sequestrate carbon. However, biomasses should not be grown on arable lands, as it would increase competition with food production and lead to sustainability issues such as increased food prices and decreased food security. The purpose of this study is to calculate the carbon footprint (CF) of willow biochar in Finland and assess the greenhouse gas compensation potential of marginal lands if they are utilized for willow biochar production. The CF of willow biochar is inadequately assessed together with marginal lands in the literature. A cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of willow biochar was conducted. The results were then applied to assess the total CF of marginal lands. It was found that the CF of willow biochar is −1875 kgCO₂eq t⁻¹ of dry biochar. Grown on marginal lands in Finland, willow biochar could compensate 7.7% of yearly agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. On buffer zones, willow biochar could also compensate some of the emissions depending on the zone size. The results of the study support current findings of biochar as a carbon negative product. The study also indicates that willow biochar produced in marginal lands can be used to compensate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions to some extent.

Household consumption accounts for 72% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To obtain consumption-based emissions in accordance with the 1.5-degree target, the carbon footprint of individuals should be reduced to 2.5 t CO₂e a⁻¹ by 2030, which means at least a 70% reduction in high-emitting countries. The decrease in consumption-based GHG emissions can be achieved through both technological and behavioural changes. Currently, climate measures are largely dependent on technological efficiency, although behavioural changes are also needed. In this paper, we study how technological actions to decarbonise the energy and mobility sectors affect consumption-based carbon footprints in the years 2010–2030 in a suburb in Finland. Based on the results, emissions from the mobility sector decreased by 50%, and those from the energy sector decreased by 68% in 2010–2030, when only technology development and society-level actions are considered. These emission reductions affected the carbon footprint of an average Finnish suburb by decreasing it by 37%. This study demonstrates that technological actions to decarbonise the energy and mobility sectors do not guarantee adequate emission reduction by 2030 to achieve the 1.5-degree target; therefore, a change in lifestyle and consumption habits is also needed. Further research should take behavioural changes into account when assessing the development of a consumption-based carbon footprint.

Household consumption accounts for 65–72% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally, and therefore, a change in current consumption patterns has the potential to mitigate climate change and provide emission reductions. There is knowledge on the consumption options with a high mitigation potential, but this information has not been combined with a consumer behavior information. This study examines the emission-reduction potential of suburban residents in Finland through a survey that assesses their willingness to adopt climate actions, and by calculating the potential impact of various actions. Finnish suburban households have already implemented low-impact climate actions (recycling, reducing food waste), but the implementation of high-impact actions in households could also be increased. Transitioning to a vegetarian diet, reducing air travel and limiting consumption are identified as the most effective mitigation actions when the potential increase in the implementation rate and impact on greenhouse gas emissions are considered. However, the results suggest that voluntary individual efforts alone are not sufficient to achieve the 1.5 °C carbon budget. Thus, alongside behavioural changes, strong policy measures and technological advancements are necessary. These findings emphasise the specific individual actions that should be prioritised when formulating climate policies at the national or city levels.

Limiting global warming to 1.5 ℃ requires systemic changes, including shifts in consumption patterns. Mobile applications can support individuals in adopting sustainable consumption practices by providing guidance, information and interventions. This study investigates the greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of a mobile application and examines how it encouraged individuals to seek sustainable lifestyles using data from the Climate Campaigners research project ( n = 6,240). The studied mobile app suggested sustainable lifestyle interventions called ‘challenges’, which were designed to reduce the app user’s personal carbon footprint and to help them adopt sustainable lifestyle changes. The results show that app users were more successful in completing short-term (one week or less), low emission impact lifestyle challenges than long-term (one month or a year), high emission impact challenges. Easiness was the main reason for completing a challenge in all the lifestyle categories reviewed. Although the number of completed challenges was higher for low emission impact challenges, high emission impact and long-term challenges had greater emission reduction potential. If short-term and low emission impact challenges become part of users’ daily habits, the emission reduction potential of these challenges may increase. However, if the continuity of using the app ceases, the probability of achieving substantial emissions reductions remains uncertain. The impact of sustainability-related mobile applications on emissions reductions depends significantly on user engagement and activity. These findings contribute to our understanding of the emission reduction potential of individual use of a mobile application and suggest that future research should focus on tracking the repetition of short-term challenges, understanding how the continuity of long-term lifestyle changes can be supported and exploring the reasons why lifestyle changes are not completed.