A life cycle analysis of living: Measuring behaviour and the impact of dwelling rather than the dwelling alone

This research addresses the need for a more sustainable way of living by arguing that the current approach to green architecture, limited by the current criteria, needs to be refined in response to the needs of the finite world. In comparison with earlier ways of living, modern society has a large dependence on technology. This dependence only further reinforces the overall detrimental environmental impacts of human behaviour. The original contribution to knowledge this thesis contributes is to establish the effect of behaviour on the total impact of a dwelling by measuring behaviour in the act of dwelling in New Zealand households. The thesis maps human behaviour; first looking at global practices and raw materials extraction: and second New Zealand's interaction with the global market. The inherent relationship between manufacturing nations and countries like New Zealand entails an indirect link revealing how international policies can be influenced by the average New Zealand household. By means of an in-depth life cycle assessment, approximately 400 households are examined to identify the embodied energy in the act of dwelling, including ownership of the various household items that use finite raw materials in both operation and manufacture. This research identifies the existence of crucial "Hidden Emissions" that are currently not considered in national and international CO₂ accounting methods. This research also identifies the links between appliance ownership, its usage and how these vary for different types of appliances. The outcome of this research posits, first, a theoretical framework for establishing impact as a result of behaviour, dubbed the “Effect on Operation” formulae, making it possible to measure behaviour in total emissions and how this impacts climate change. Second, this work identifies key changes in both the energy generation sector and in household behaviour to meet current emissions reduction targets. The hypothetical reduction scenarios presented in this thesis identify the possibility of a prospective change in the relative importance of embodied energy when compared to the impact of operational energy. This reveals a possible future in which embodied energy may well account for over sixty per cent of total emissions associated with household behaviour, suggesting several avenues for further research