We present Spitzer IRS spectroscopy of $CO_2$ ice toward 19 young stellar objects (YSOs) with luminosity lower than $1L_{odot}$. Pure $CO_2$ ice forms only at elevated temperatures, T > 20 K, and thus at higher luminosities. Current internal luminosities of YSOs with L < $1L_{odot}$ do not provide such conditions out to radii of typical envelopes. Significant amounts of pure $CO_2$ ice would signify a higher past luminosity. We analyze $15.2{mu}m$ $CO_2$ ice bending mode absorption lines in comparison to the laboratory data. We decompose pure $CO_2$ ice from 12 out of 19 young low luminosity sources. The presence of the pure $CO_2$ ice component indicates high dust temperature and hence high luminosity in the past. The sum of all the ice components (total $CO_2$ ice amount) can be explained by a long period of low luminosity stage between episodic accretion bursts as predicted in an episodic accretion scenario. Chemical modeling shows that the episodic accretion scenario explains the observed total $CO_2$ ice amount best.