Sustainable Consumption Roundtable: what we will be doing
Over the next twelve months the Roundtable will be looking at a number of pertinent topics that will form the focus of our report to Government.
1. Shifting the field of product choice towards sustainability
How can Government and business make it easier for consumers to choose sustainable products? As well as encouraging innovation, Government can play a role in raising the lowest acceptable standards to remove unwanted poor choices from the market place (think Turkey Twizzlers!).
The Roundtable will be engaging directly with consumers to determine which products are most problematic and discover what form of Government intervention would be most helpful and constructive.
To support this work we will be undertaking an analysis of product ranges that have already responded to incorporate sustainability objectives. Examples will include products such as unleaded petrol, catalytic converters and free range eggs.
2. What sustainable consumption means for business
The Roundtable will be working to encourage companies to integrate the challenges and opportunities presented by sustainable consumption into the heart of their business operations.
Shifting the UK onto a path to more sustainable consumption has far-reaching implications for the traditional business model. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda has started to address a limited number of the issues, but has so far remained at the periphery of business activities.
The Roundtable is concentrating on the implications of this approach for the high-profile consumer facing businesses such as supermarkets and tour operators
- SC for Business: Supermarkets Supermarkets are the gatekeepers of our day-to-day consumption decisions. We cannot buy what they do not stock and it can be hard to resist a half-price offer whether it is on turkey twizzlers or easter eggs! The largest retailers also have considerable influence over their supply chain and the way the food is produced. This relationship needs to be harnessed so retailers are encouraged to work with suppliers to achieve higher food standards and lower environmental and social impacts along the entire food chain.
- SC for Business: Tour Operators Tour operators pre-determine the impact we have when we travel and consume abroad. Our impacts can be as diverse as carbon emissions from flights, to supporting the economy by eating local seasonal produce and providing employment for local people. The devastation caused by the boxing day Tsunami in South Asia raised consciousness about tourism and its impacts (both positive and negative) on the UK’s favourite holiday destinations. The resulting campaigns have illustrated what the tourist dollar can achieve if it is used to benefit local communities and the Roundtable will be exploring with operators and the [Travel Foundation] how this can be best achieved.
3. Lifestyle shifts – meeting the public halfway
Finally the Roundtable will be exploring options for how Government could meet individuals halfway to change headline and high-impact behaviours such as food consumption, energy use and travel. The issues surrounding sustainable consumption are complex and often overwhelming. Uncertainty surrounding the correct products and lack of information can encourage apathy rather than much needed action.
Building on Chapter 2 of the ‘Securing the Future’ published in March 2005 we will be exploring how the Government at local and national level can better enable, encourage and engage people to make better choices.
