Consumption and the environment (SOER2010) - European ...

Thematic assessment | Consumption and the environment
Development, another is the World Economic Forum's
Sustainable Consumption Initiative in which a
cross‐industry group of companies and a network
of sustainable consumption experts are developing
practical ideas and new forms of collaboration
putting sustainability at the heart of business models
(WEF, 2010b).
The central position of retailers in the product chain
provides an opportunity for them to play a key role on the
path towards sustainable consumption. More research into
what authorities can do to stimulate action by retailers
towards SCP, both through supply chain management and
choice editing, would be an important first step in this
direction.
Some citizens — either as individuals or through
community‐based initiatives, consumer organisations
and NGOs — have acted independently, playing a role
as pioneers and agents of change in normalising and
mainstreaming sustainable ways of living. Examples
include the Transition Towns movement, the Co‐housing
Community and the Alliance of Climate‐friendly
Settlements in Hungary. However, it is crucial to recognise
that placing the responsibility on individuals to make
voluntary decisions in isolation is unlikely to bring about
sufficient widespread changes in behaviour rapidly
enough.
Thus, as illustrated above, some businesses and citizens
are taking action towards more sustainable consumption
in Europe. Public authorities at all levels — including at
the EU level, national governments and local governments
— are taking action towards putting better frameworks
in place and implementing policies towards sustainable
consumption. However, the policy area of sustainable
consumption is still in its infancy and many options
remain completely unexplored.
As shown in this assessment, there is huge potential for
reducing environmental impacts in Europe and other
regions of the world through changing private and
public consumption patterns in Europe. Such changes
could be instigated through policy packages that
include legislation, taxes on environmentally harmful
consumption, voluntary instruments with business
and citizens, information‐based instruments, including
awareness‐raising campaigns and labels. Together they
would provide a necessary and effective supplement
to the efforts to improve technologies and regulate
environmental impacts from production in Europe.
The assessment also shows the systemic nature of
the environmental impacts from consumption (and
production) and the many common avenues for achieving
sustainable consumption and production. Both reflections
argue strongly for transformative responses that start
from the natural environment and the resources and
services it provides for our well‐being, and linking much
better existing actions so as to deliver timely, effective
and cost‐efficient improvements in times of economic and
financial crises.
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The European environment | State and outlook 2010