Introducing the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable
We all know what money can’t buy: happiness, love, family, social life or community...
...in fact most of the things that are statistically proven to make life better! Why do we always think, despite all evidence to the contrary, that once we get an iPod or a new pair of shoes that our lives will be complete?
Striving, and more often than not failing, to keep up with the Jones’, or indeed the Beckhams, not only makes us miserable but is also detrimental to the health of our planet.
| Contextualising sustainable consumption To put sustainable consumption in its proper context, in 2000 Western Europe was home to approximately 6.4% of the world’s population, but consumed around 29% of its resources. In stark contrast, sub-Saharan Africa with 10% of the population consumed 1.2% of world resources . These statistics plainly illustrate the need to tackle the massive inequality which has condemned nearly 2.8bn people to live on less than $2 a day. Looking at this issue from a slightly different perspective, 1.7bn, or under a third of the global population, currently enjoys the fruits of western style consumption. This number is continuing to rise as countries like China and India experience rapid economic growth raising the living standards of their huge and expanding populations. Private car ownership in China has grown from one to ten million in the last 10 years and Electricity consumption in India has increased 208% since 1980. The lifestyles we enjoy in the UK are the legitimate aspirations of many in the developing world, but it is a sobering thought that if a further 4.3bn people emulate our existing consumption patterns the, most likely irreversible, damage already inflicted on the environment, society and climate can only accelerate. To answer this threat, the second Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 called for the development of, “a 10-year framework of programmes in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production.” » Read more 1. WorldWatch Institute. January 2004. “State of the World 2004: Consumption By the Numbers" 2. National Bureau of Statistics of China, June 2003. 3. EIA Energy Information Administration. February 2004. 4. United Nations Johannesburg Declaration. Chapter 3. 2002. |
Who we are
The Sustainable Consumption Roundtable is an initiative jointly hosted by the National Consumer Council (NCC) and the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) to address the thorny and complex issues surrounding consumption in the UK.
Funded by Defra and DTI, it brings together a small group of eight leading experts in consumer policy, retailing. and sustainability. From the NCC, Chief Executive Ed Mayo and Head of Policy, Jill Johnstone, join three SDC Commissioners, Professor Tim Jackson, Alan Knight and Rita Clifton. Three external members, Andrew Lee, Head of Campaigns at World Wildlife Fund, Chris Pomfret, Board member of the Food Standards Agency, and Sinead Furey of the General Consumer Council of Northern Ireland, bring in further wide-ranging expertise.
» Read more about the work programme of the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable
"It is not about living without luxury, darning socks and wearing four jumpers..."
What we are doing
The first question many people ask is, “What is sustainable consumption?”. The Roundtable looks on sustainable consumption as being about enabling the generation of quality of life for all for all time. It is not about living without luxury, darning socks and wearing four jumpers to avoid turning the heating on! Rather it is about inspiring and enabling people to have more fulfilling, happier lives that at the same time improve and enhance our environment and society.
"The Roundtable will be contributing to and encouraging the debate around some of the more intractable and controversial consumption behaviours such as air travel"
The Roundtable is working to build consensus around a practical vision of where and how we might aim to move UK consumption patterns to realize these lofty (but ultimately achievable!) aims. We will be investigating lifestyle scenarios for Britain in 2020 by exploring the consequences for households attempting to consume more sustainably.
Within this, the Roundtable will be contributing to and encouraging the debate around some of the more intractable and controversial consumption behaviours such as air travel. We will also be compiling case studies to inform and complement our work by exploring existing initiatives and policies that have succeeded in shifting consumption patterns both locally and internationally.
The Roundtable is due to produce a menu of practical policy recommendations on sustainable consumption in early 2006. After which the Government has committed in its Strategy, ‘Securing the Future’ to setting out a plan for further action on sustainable consumption.
Contact us
We will be producing bi-monthly reports on the Roundtable’s progress and work programme over the next year. If you are interested in receiving these updates or would like to know more about the work programme outline in this e-bulletin, please contact us on enquiries@sd-commission.org.uk
