Consumption in a Sustainable World

THIS REPORT IS a product of a workshop which was part of a consultative process undertaken by the Norwegian government’s Ministry of the Environment, with the objective of encouraging pioneers in sustainable consumption to develop a shared understanding of sustainable consumption priorities. This included an interest in identifying the best ways of accelerating international action, removing obstacles to further progress and monitoring the results. It was attended by more than 50 individuals from 28 countries, including government officials and representatives of international and non-governmental organizations, industry, trade unions and the scientific community.

The report is divided into five sections. The first, entitled Let’s Do It, consists of practical examples from around the world showing that sustainable consumption is starting to take off as a priority for cities, communities, business and government. The second section, Getting to Grips with Sustainable Consumption, highlights the fact that the issue is both complex and controversial, despite positive signs that the goal of sustainable consumption adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit is starting to move out of the conference hall and into communities and the market place. The third section provides a number of examples of good practice, highlighting the need for more effort in tackling the underlying patterns of consumption as well as improving the efficiency of end use. The fourth section summarizes three critical themes to guide international cooperation for sustainable consumption: the need for the world’s rich to acknowledge their responsibility to change, reduce their direct environmental impact and set an example for others; balancing globalization and local needs; and that whilst the rich have the responsibility to move furthest, poor countries can still gain from more efficient consumption.