40/2016 Nachhaltiger Konsum durch soziale Innovationen – Konzepte und Praxis

establishment as alternatives, depending on the extent of required consumer competences.
Generally speaking, where facilitation structures play an important role as providers
of low-threshold supplies, the appropriation and maintenance of competences should
be particularly focused.
The main characteristic of the innovation type “Utility-enhancing consumption: Production
and services for better use of products” is the high degree of formality. Here, consumers
are supplied with revalued products for reuse or possibilities for renting and letting
as alternatives to product purchase. The change of practices concerns mainly the designs
of services and supply. The degree of communality, personal engagement and innovativeness
as expected from the consumers is relatively low. With this type integration
into the mainstream seems possible as a strategic goal, focused on practices that are already
widely diffused. In this case targeted steering impulses via policy interventions are
possible. The development of this type is mainly focused on enlargement of the market
and stimulation of demand. An objective could be to integrate “concepts of product use”
as an alternative into the conventional market more systematically so as to facilitate access
for consumers. Next to providing financial incentives it is important to enhance such
a process through legal regulations and targeted political activities.
The potential of social innovations for sustainable consumption and the complexity of this
field of intervention make sophisticated demands on environmental politics. Depending
on the specific strategic goal and innovation type, policy makers can act in a facilitating,
moderating or managing way. Social innovations can be seen as important impulses for a
cultural change towards more participation, social responsibility and recognition for civic
engagement. Thus, social innovations are also relevant for other policy areas and/or can
be a part of collaboration across them. Furthermore, collaboration across areas can be relevant
in the application of measures to support social innovations for sustainable consumption
in general. Those measures could mean implementing a national networking,
information and observation office for social innovation. Finally, another possible implementation
could be the common design of a public awareness campaign that shows participation
possibilities. What is more, the strategic approach to promote social innovations
for sustainable consumption by environmental policy is first of all the provision of
resources helping to initiate and stabilise social innovations, to strengthen user’s competencies,
and to transfer knowledge about social innovations to the public. A better market
integration as well as the establishment of adequate and stable market structures is important
for social innovations for sustainable consumption by environmental policy there
is a need for further research concerning this field and its topics.
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