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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. 50 The European environment | State and outlook 2010
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