Sustainable Consumption

UNEP (2009) Recycling - from e-waste to resources. UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)... 

Non-sustainable consumption of all available resources is the basis of threats to biodiversity and... 

Process and product models are commonly used for performing LCAs of the environmental impacts of materials and products through different stages of fabrication, use, and end-of-life options. In a recent article, it was shown that these models can be represented as process flow diagrams or as matrices of process interactions. Matrix representations are advantageous if application cost, feedback flow, or speed of analysis is important. They are also useful in conjunction with comprehensive, general equilibrium models in which the system boundary of the problem (e.g., an LCA of a product) being analyzed is on the level of the national economy (Hendrickson et al., 1998). Rich communities bear a responsibility to pioneer a path toward sustainable consumption (Myers, 1997). 

European Commission (2010) Making sustainable consumption and production a reality, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 32 pp. ISBN 978-92-79-14357-1... 

Developing a new comprehensive vision of sustainable energy production, utilizing the latest state-of-the-art energy technologies will enable us to forecast and model sustainable consumption trends with plenty of renewable... 

Biological systems have evolved to allow sustainable consumption to occur with little or no depletion. Therefore, the depletion number provides a measure of system progress or maturity, and is a useful basis for studying the evolution of industrial resource use patterns and the implementation of resource conservation strategies. The depletion number is a function of three indicators showing the level of implementation of resource conservation strategies ... 

Thomas, V. 2003. Research issues in sustainable consumption Toward an analytical framework for materials and the environment. Environmental Science and Technology, 37 5383-88. 

FIGURE 10.1 European policies for sustainable consumption and prodnction. (Adapted from Mont, O. and Dalhammar, C. 2006. International Journal of Sustainable Development, 8(4) 258-79.)... 

Policy principles act as compasses for sustainability, but they must be supported by different policies and action programs, and ultimately policy instruments. Eigure 10.1 represents a conceptual image of different policy levels for the promotion of sustainable consumption and production in Europe. 

The Marrakech process is a global process to support regional and national initiatives to promote the shift towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) patterns. In the European Union, the Marrakech process is leading the development of an EU SCP Action Plan that entails amongst other things the Integrated Product Policy (IPP) and Green Public Procurement (GPP). 

In the European Union the Marrakech process has led to a renewed European Sustainable Development Strategy, which identifies Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) as one of the key objectives to be achieved in the context of the European Union s commitment of sustainable development. SCP aims to promote sustainable consumption and production by addressing social and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. ... 

Thogersen, J. and Olander, F. (2002) Human values and the emergence of a sustainable consumption pattern a panel study. Journal of Economic Psychology 23 (5), 605-630. 

Conversion of the largest possible area to organic farming practices does not automatically imply the widespread adoption of a sustainable consumption model and therefore ... 

A vision shared by producers and consumers is a prerequisite for the adoption of sustainable consumption. 

Conversion to organic farming on a wide scale is likely to alter the relative power of agricultural organizations, and this could indirectly create or remove barriers to sustainable consumption. 

The widespread adoption of the sustainable consumption model will be affected by the market. Continued preference for convenience foods acts against the model whilst it is anticipated that the launch of the Biosiegel label, the national equivalent of the EU standard for organic food, will boost demand for organically produced food. 

This ideology is tightly bound with the concept of consumption behaviours. Research in this volume includes assessing the extent to which commercial organic farmers, late converters, themselves consume organic products (Kaltoft and Risgaard, Chapter 8), and defining a model of sustainable consumption behaviours (Schafer et al, Chapter 17). 

Evaluating labelling as a factor stimulating the development of sustainable consumption and production of textiles and clothing is not simple. In some cases, eco-and social labels are a mechanism that allows effective communication with consumers, but in many cases they are a source of confusion and frustration. 

OECD, 2008. Promoting Sustainable Consumption. Good Practices in OECD Countries. France. Organic Monitor, 2011. The French Market for Ethical Textiles. http //www.organicmonitor. 

Clark G (2007) Evolution of the global sustainable consumption and production policy and the United Nations Environment Programme s (UNEP) supporting activities. J Clean Prod 15(6) 492 98... 

Council of the European Union (2008) Sustainable consumption and production and sustainable industrial policy action plan council conclusions, 16914/08, 5. December 2008, http //register.consilium.europa. eu/pdf/en/08/stl6/stl6914.en08.pdf. Accessed 24 June 2013... 

Pogutz S, Micale V (2011) Sustainable consumption and production. An effort to reconcile the determinants of environmental impact. Soc Econ 33 29-50... 

It appears sustainable consumption is often seen as a compromise within internal decision-making processes between consumers social responsibility and their individual needs and desires. Although consumers have a positive attitude toward sustainability, as shown by market research, they are largely passive in their role when it comes to supporting environmental or animal welfare improvements through their purchasing behavior (Vermeir and Verbeke, 2006). 

Kemp, R., 2008. Transition management for sustainable consumption and production. In Tukker, A., Charter, M., Vezzoli, C., Sto, E., Anderson, M.M. (Eds.), System Innovation for Sustainability Perspectives on Radical Changes to Sustainable Consumption and Production. Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, pp. 369-390. 

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