The appeal of the good life: strategies for communicating sufficiency practices and policies

This article examines how sufficiency, an approach to sustainability focused on reducing resource consumption, can be communicated as a pathway to a good life rather than a call to sacrifice. Based on a representative survey in Germany, the findings show that although the term “sufficiency” is unfamiliar to many people, core values such as health, financial security, and social connection offer promising entry points for communication. We highlight how structural inequalities shape the feasibility of sufficiency. Individuals with care responsibilities often face time constraints that limit their capacity to adopt sufficiency practices, while many low-income groups already live within ecological limits, often involuntarily. Sufficiency policies can empower these individuals by improving access to services, mobility, and durable goods. This article advocates a constructivist, power-sensitive communication approach that links sufficiency to everyday needs, social justice, and enabling policy frameworks, reframing it not as an individual sacrifice but as a collective right and a foundation for more livable, equitable futures.