LARA : The Local Area Resource Analysis model

LARA is a highly socio-economically disaggregated model used to estimate household resource use and associated emissions. It is a top-down model that uses national expenditure data and household data from the Census. Its geographical basis is neighbourhoods of 124 households on average.

Applications of LARA to date include:

• Estimation of the carbon footprint of typical “types” of UK households segmented according to UK National Output Area Classification. This involves estimating the energy use and associated carbon dioxide emissions due to direct household fuel use, personal transportation, and also the energy and emissions embedded in goods and services purchased by households. In order to estimate embedded emissions, LARA is combined with a quasi-multi-regional input-output model.
  
• Estimation of direct household resource use and waste arisings for specific neighbourhoods of contrasting levels of deprivation selected according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
  
• LARA can also be applied as a forecasting tool, and has been used to estimate local waste arisings in different scenarios.
  
• LARA forms the basis of the AR-Gini which is an area-based indicator of resource and emissions inequalities based on the conventional Gini coefficient.

References

Druckman, A., P. Sinclair and T. Jackson (2008). "A geographically and socio-economically disaggregated local household consumption model for the UK." Journal of Cleaner Production 16(7): 870-880.

Druckman, A. and T. Jackson (2008). "Measuring resource inequalities: development and application of an area-based Gini coefficient." Ecological Economics, 65(2): 242-252.

Druckman, A. and T. Jackson (2008). "Household energy consumption in the UK: a highly geographically and socio-economically disaggregated model." Energy Policy In press.

Druckman, A. and T. Jackson (2008). The carbon footprint of UK households 1990-2004: a socio-economically disaggregated, quasi-multi-regional input-output model. The 2008 International Input-Output Meeting: Managing the Environment Seville, Spain. 9-11 July 2008

Druckman, A and T Jackson. (2007) The Local Area Resource Analysis (LARA) Model: Concepts, Methodology and Applications.  RESOLVE Working Paper Series 02-07, University of Surrey.

Druckman, A. and T. Jackson (2007). Towards a low carbon society: a highly disaggregated model of household energy consumption. 11th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Basel, Switzerland. 20-22 June  2007.

Druckman, A., P. Sinclair and T. Jackson (2006). Household resource usage and its drivers: a highly socio-economically disaggregated model. International Sociological Association for the XVI World Congress, Durban, South Africa.

Druckman, A., P. Sinclair and T. Jackson (2005). A geographically and socio-economically disaggregated local household consumption model for the UK. 10th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Antwerp, Belgium, 5-7 October 2005.