To Örebro University

Two kinds of local low-carbon initiatives are the focus in this paper: those initiated under the umbrella of a central government program, and those initiated from below by individuals and municipalities in Sweden. The project studied in the first category was focused on eco-technological innovations undertaken by a municipal housing company. The case in the second category was a dialogue-based program with selected citizens willing to test a climate-friendly lifestyle. The latter approach faced strong barriers when going from words to deeds, lacking the large-scale favors of massive eco-technological investments. Highlighting one particular project in each category, we illustrate the potentials and barriers of each approach. it is concluded that policymakers have to find ways to combine the two, otherwise there is a risk that low-carbon committed individuals will become disillusioned or that eco-technological gains will be spoiled by "rebound consumption".