The Future Issue - SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050

LETTER FROM THE ECLETTER FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONDear stakeholders,the SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 European Social Platform project represents a new type ofresearch being tested by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovationunder the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities programme. It is the fourth such Social Platformproject where we seek to demonstrate the benefits of new applied research methods and to fosternew thinking through the engagement of wide groups of stakeholders.The SPREAD project is also a pioneer in exploring the topic of sustainable lifestyles. The EuropeanCommission recognises the importance of the transition to more sustainable ways of living to achievethe Europe 2020 Strategy by reversing negative environmental trends, fostering new business models,green growth and new jobs in Europe.At the global level future environmental pressures and impacts will be exacerbated by an increasingpopulation. The continuation of current consumption and production patterns will increase the useof natural resources (fossil fuels, water, forests, etc), accelerate environmental degradation and climatechange.Technology is an important part of the transition to a more sustainable society but is not the only elementthat needs to change. To meet these global challenges also requires an economic paradigm shiftand changes in individual lifestyles. Therefore, key research areas need to address the demand side,re-evaluate current growth models, find ways to account for major uncertainties and examine in whatways new paradigms and new consumer behaviours are likely to develop.The Europe 2020 Strategy calls for a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It aims to transform theEU into a knowledge-based, resource efficient and low-carbon economy. In line with the “20/20/20“climate/energy targets and the roadmap for a competitive low carbon economy in 2050, Europe needsto develop an economy that can secure growth and development while at the same time improvinghuman well-being, providing decent jobs, reducing inequalities, tackling poverty and preserving thenatural environment. Such a green economy means making use of low-carbon and resource efficientsolutions and stepping up efforts to promote sustainable consumption and production. Enabling thiswill require a better understanding of the role and impacts of changes in consumption behaviour andconsumer culture.We would like to thank all of the contributors to this work from the European Social Platform on SustainableLifestyles, and to congratulate the SPREAD consortium for their valuable efforts in providingthe European Commission with a vision, scenarios and action roadmap to more sustainable lifestylesin Europe by 2050.Sincerely,Perla Srour-GandonScientific Officer, European CommissionDG Research and InnovationSocio-economic Sciences and Humanities Programme4