Why only strong sustainable consumption governance will make a difference
In October, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited published the anthology "A Research Agenda for Sustainable Consumption Governance" edited by Oksana Mont. It assesses achievements, challenges and future paths for research and examines how new dimensions of knowledge and practice challenge, reshape and develop the traditional understanding of sustainable consumption governance.
In their chapter "Why only strong sustainable consumption governance will make a difference", ZIN spokeswoman Doris Fuchs and Sylvia Lorek (Sustainable Europe Research Institute) argue that "improving of consumption efficiency can be a prerequisite for achieving sustainable consumption" (Mont. 2019: 19), but due to rebound effects "achievements based on efficiency alone are frequently outweighed by a growth in consumption volumes“ (ibid.). They conclude that the consumption level of the global consumer class must also be lowered, "which in turn requires changes in infrastructures and in the politico-economic drivers of consumption" (ibid.).
