"30-40 percent of all environmental problems result directly or indirectly from existing consumer patterns." [Source: Umweltbundesamt (German federal Office of the Environment) (Ed..), "Nachhaltige Konsummuster und postmaterielle Lebensstile" (Sustainable Patterns of Consumption and Post-Material Patterns of Life), Berlin 1997, p. 1]

How Do I Act Sustainably? - Example: Sustainable consumerism "Sustainability as a principle is characterised by the interplay of three dimensions: ecology, economy and social... The ecological dimension of sustainability is given preference in connection to the behaviour of consumers. Economic development and welfare are only possible in the long-term within a predetermined framework that identifies nature as the foundation of life. Conversely economic and social aspects also serve for the "do ability" of ecology: ecological production and consumerism can only be realised if they are attainable for the consumer... and when consumerism and production take place under acceptable social conditions." [Source: Deutscher Bundestag (Ed.), final report from the Enquete Commission "Globalisation of the World Economy", p. 381 Note 119, Online Version] Non-sustainable patterns of consumption and production form a central reason for environmental problems at all levels - from the local to the global level. This is why the Agenda 21, which Basic Course 3 deals with, goes into the subject of "changing consumer habits" so intensely. In addition, the topic of "sustainable consumerism" - as is the subject of sustainability in total - very closely connected to topics like (global) justice, distribution or globalisation, which are dealt with in depth elsewhere on this web-site (go to Globalisation as a topic in its own right).

"In what are referred to as the rich industrial nations, consumer habits dominate as a rule, which are characterised by excessive consumerism and a irresponsible use of resources. Whereas in particular parts of the world, consumption takes place in a wholly wasteful manner, poorer parts of the (world) population on the other hand are frequently not in a position to satisfy their basic needs. For this reason, a change in patterns of consumption and production requires a strategy which takes the imbalance in this pattern into particular consideration.

For this reason realising new and sustainable styles of consumption requires comprehensive information and education work in a first step... Products and transport routes need to made more transparent to the consumer, the prices needs to state the "ecological truth" and environmentally alternatives identified and demonstrated.

Areas of Activity in Sustainable Consumerism

The question of which concrete measures for sustainable consumer behaviour can be implemented is first posed during the second step. The following areas of action... are assigned an essential role here:

> Waste avoidance and recycling   Promoting recycling at production and consumer level Using return and refill systems Avoiding extravagant packaging Favouring environmentally-compatible products being imported Separating household waste/sorted waste disposal Purchasing products with a long life-cycle > Energy and water consumption Distributing... environmentally-friendly technologies Promoting research and development in the area of environmentally-friendly energies (Increased) use of renewable energies Reduction in water consumption and pollution Increased use of equipment that saves energy and water > Mobility Conversion to low-consumption means of transport Change to public transport > Nutrition Increase in the share of regional products Preference for foodstuffs from ecological cultivation and humane animal husbandry (refer to the page on 'Sustainable Agricultural') Purchase of fairly traded products (refer to the page on 'Fairtrade') Purchase of products in season > Purchase of environmentally-friendly products Passing on used products to others Preference for products with eco labels Rental, second-hand and exchange offers ('borrowing instead of ownership, exchange rings) Joint use of consumer goods with a long service life ('car sharing')"

"Living sustainably means living well, healthily, in partnership and with tolerance, maintaining the value of things, enjoying things consciously, and consuming with enjoyment. That also means paying attention to quality, not running after every fashion, but not condemning every one either - that is part of the quality of life. Consuming sustainably means reminding oneself that what is better and not what is cheaper can be the enemy of what is good; what is more, that community and individualism go hand-in-hand just as partnership and independence do. Sustainable lifestyles comprise the art of behaving correctly in the wrong structures. For this reason it needs both - politics from above and action from below. Sustainable production, consumer and economic structures only come to stand together." [Source: Joachim H. Spangenberg/Sylvia Lorek, "Sozio-ökonomische Aspekte nachhaltigkeits-orientierten Konsumwandels" (Socio-Economic Aspects of Sustainability-Oriented Consumer Transformation); in: "Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte" 24/2001, p. 29, Online Version]   Models for the "Better-Different-Less Strategy" from the Wuppertal institute for Climate, Environment, Energy: 1. Live well instead of owning a lot 2. Towns as habitats 3. Take time and allow enough time 4. The regeneration of land and agriculture 5. From rubbish tips to cycles 6. Infrastructures capable of learning 7. The green market economy 8. The civilisation of conflicts 9. Justice and the global neighbourhood 10. Aspects of schools fit for the future [The Wuppertal Institute on the Internet]

[Source: "Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit" (German Federal Ministry for the Protection of Nature and Reactor Safety). (Publisher) Environmental Policy "Lokale Agenda 21 und nachhaltige Entwicklung in deutschen Kommunen, 10 Jahre nach Rio: Bilanz und Perspektiven, (Local Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development in German Communities, 10 years after Rio: Balances and Perspectives) Berlin 2002, p. 127-129]

Efficiency and Sufficiency Strategy

To affect a transformation towards a sustainable (world) society, models are required like the one from the renowned Wuppertal Institute above. In order to implement these models, great courage and creativity is required. Two strategies are being discussed in this relation that complement one another as the following text excerpt from Ulrich Grober makes clear:

"The efficiency strategy targets drastic reductions in the consumption of natural resources through a change in direction in technical advancement. A increase in resource productivity of a factor of 4, and of a factor of 10 exists at the centre of this concept. A reduction in the consumption of natural resources to one tenth is an enormous challenge for creative and entrepreneurial people of course. This means " a new technological revolution of similar proportions as the industrial revolution" (Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker). Despite this, this clever project is less controversial in comparison and forms the consensus in many areas in the meantime.

However, the efficiency strategy only makes up one level of the transformation to sustainable development. It has to be complemented and carried by a dimension which the authors... at the Wuppertal Institute have called the Sufficiency Strategy. This concerns... needs and styles of living, and a new definition of the quality of life. The abandonment of the vision of the good life is in no way accomplished for all as a result of this. The key lies mainly in the concept of "new models of prosperity".

'Half as much, but doubly good in return': The slick slogan from the Munich-based eco-entrepreneur Karl Ludwig Schweisfurth gets right to heart of this. What he recommends for the consumption of foodstuffs can be transferred onto other areas of everyday life. The sufficiency-civilisation questions the "correct measure" and balance between material and immaterial goods, between prosperity through goods, time and space.

It asks what we really need. It also considers beauty to be the stuff of life. It recommends concentrating on the optimal, i.e. on what is better, on quality and long life, instead of on the maximum. (...) It promotes a culture of self-limitation and the elegance of simplicity - and as a result takes up old concepts of a philosophy of life as an art (...).

On the basis of the idea of sustainability, a movement in search has risen and grown significantly, a 'subculture with an ecological sense at world level' (Wolfgang Sachs) with similar problem definitions, aims in perspective and reform approaches. It is a movement that comprises grassroots initiatives and companies, sections of public administration and scientific intuitions that have built up a body of knowledge and skill based on countless fields of experiment and that forms the basis for important change."

[Source: Ulrich Grober, "Die Idee der Nachhaltigkeit als zivilisatorischer Entwurf" (The Concept of Sustainability as a Draft for Civilisation); in: "Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte" 24/2001, p. 5, Online Version]

[Author: Ragnar Müller]

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