The (un)sustainability of consumption patterns

The chapter starts with evidence on anthropogenic pressures on planetary boundaries and the development of the global Ecological Footprint. The large number and diversity of sustainability problems are emphasized as well as the risk of “waterbed effects” when focusing on single issues in isolation. The responsibility for global environmental problems is unequally distributed, both between and within nations. Attempts to individualize this responsibility include Raworth’s “doughnut” model and Di Giulio and Fuchs’ “sustainable consumption corridors”. Most of the environmental impacts of consumption come from just three sectors: food, transport and housing, making the right choices within these sectors particularly important. The importance of solving issues upstream is also discussed.