Sustainable Consumption and Production: Encouraging sustainable consumption
Current levels of consumption in the UK and other rich world countries are unsustainable. If everyone in the world consumed at the average rate we do in the UK, we would need three planets. We need to move to 'one planet living' at home, at work or travelling around.
This page includes information on actions designed to move us towards more sustainable consumption habits to create a more just society within environmental limits.
- The problem with unsustainable consumption
- What is driving sustainable consumption?
- Research and evidence on sustainable consumption
- Further information on sustainable consumption
The problem with unsustainable consumption
Consumption is not just about shopping but all the ways we use the planet's
resources in our everyday lives; from the food, clothes and electronics
we consume to our central heating, how we get about and where and how we
take our holidays. These products and services all have social and environmental
impacts, whether in their production and distribution, when in 'use' or
when they are thrown away as waste.
As society has become more prosperous and the number of separate households has increased, consumption levels have risen sharply. Four areas of our lives generate four-fifths of our overall impact on the environment around us; how we run our homes; the food we eat; how we get around; and how we travel on our holidays. There is obviously huge potential to deliver improvements through consuming better products and services as well as learning to consume differently.
| Taking the lead The London Congestion Charge has changed mainstream consumer behaviour and reduced traffic congestion beyond expectation. It brought together a number of measures to stimulate change alongside charging, including increased access to alternatives (public transport, cycle lanes etc) and plenty of publicity. |
What is driving sustainable consumption?
The report, I
will if you will (May 2006), by the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable
- a joint initiative between the Sustainable Development Commission and
The National Consumer Council, funded by the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Trade and Industry
(DTI) - explores ways that the Government can help create a shift to more
sustainable lifestyles.
In an effort to learn from past success, the report looks at some of the consumer products that have seen a distinct shift towards a more sustainable supply chain (see Taking the lead box below). It makes the following observations:
- There is not enough evidence to suggest that consumers on their own are able to change mainstream product markets.
- The crucial requirement for change is for a product to perform up to the expectation of the relevant market.
- 'Choice editing' for quality and sustainability by regulators, retailers and manufacturers has been the critical driver towards more sustainable consumption in the majority of cases.
- Labelling of performance ratings (A-G) is a key enabler for choice editing, but does not on its own drive market transformation.
- Early announcement of legislation to set minimum standards can drive a virtuous cycle of rapid innovation and further choice editing.
- Voluntary industry initiatives are an important ingredient.
- Fiscal incentives only work if they close the price gap for more sustainable products or create significant tax rebates for their use.
- Where a sustainability issue acquires emotional resonance, consumers can lead some degree of market transformation.
Taking the lead
Examples are from I will if you will, the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable report (May 06). Visit the Sustainable Development Commission website to download a summary and the full report. |
Support for consumer behaviour change
Encouraging us to behave differently as consumers is a complex process. For example, 30% of people claim to care about companies' environmental and social records but only 3% reflect this in the purchases they make. Clearly, there is an 'attitude-behaviour' gap.
The complexity of consumer behaviour means that approaches to behaviour change have developed beyond rational, information-led campaigns. To illustrate the different elements that must come together to motivate behavioural change towards sustainable consumption, Defra has created a pictorial diamond of measures, which includes the need to enable, engage, exemplify and encourage people to move towards sustainability. For more information, visit the Behaviour change page.
Labelling is the simplest and most direct way of communicating information on a product's environmental or social credentials to consumers. For instance, new cars sold in the UK carry the new Fuel Economy Label, which carries details of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Voluntary consumer assurance labelling schemes also provide information on a range of issues such as restrictions on chemicals and information on packaging recycling. A high quality example is the European Ecolabel, which uses a flower logo to signify that a product meets the scheme's standards.
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Taking the lead
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Support for community action on sustainable consumption
It is not just individuals who can make a difference. By thinking globally and acting locally, community groups are also helping to change consumption habits. Throughout the UK, groups are engaged in a wide range of projects from local food initiatives to carbon reduction and renewable energy programmes, neighbourhood recycling to community transport schemes.
The Environmental Action Fund (EAF) has been set up to help voluntary and community sector groups with the aim of influencing patterns of consumption within communities in England to become more sustainable. In the three years to 2008, the £6.75m fund will finance 35 projects focussing on the need for action over awareness, which build capacity and strengthen the commitment of communities to change unsustainable habits.
Government is also directly supporting local community action on sustainable development through its Every Action Counts programme, which provides a range of resources, including training and mentoring opportunities, support for community participation in local planning, a community resource bank and access to sources of funding.
Taking the lead
Visit the Commission for Rural Communities' database of parish plans for more examples of communities taking action on sustainable consumption. |
Research and evidence on sustainable consumption
Defra has established a programme of research on sustainable consumption (by individuals and businesses) as part of the development of policy and delivery of the Government's aims on sustainable consumption and production. The Advisory Group on Sustainable Consumption and Production Evidence is providing advice on research and evidence building.
Current research projects into sustainable consumption include; an evidence base to support the Environment Direct service; a review of Environmental Action Fund projects; and a critical review of data for environmental impacts of household activities.
Further information on sustainable consumption
Information for businesses on sustainable innovation, resource efficiency, and compliance with regulations can be found on the advice and support for business page.
Information for local government on sustainable public procurement and encouraging behaviour change can be found on the advice and support for local authorities page.
- Sustainable Development Commission: Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development hosts the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable, which is charged with building wide ownership of sustainable consumption and producing practical advice to Government for actions and policies to create a shift to more sustainable lifestyles. Resources include the Roundtable report I will if you will (May 06), information on Business Dialogue events, and further reading on sustainable consumption policies.
- United Nations Environment Programme (Sustainable consumption unit): Includes resources on encouraging sustainable consumption and an international online database of corporate and public advertising campaigns on sustainability issues.
- Household consumption and the environment (2005): European Environment Agency report looking at sustainable consumption and production in Europe.
See also
Updated: 11 September 2006