Lecture 6
Ethical & sustainable consumption
Readings- business ethics managing corporate ect chapter 8
- Sustainable consumption pg. 4-24
Why sustainable consumption?
- UN goals: ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
- Facts from UN:
o Each year, 1/3 of food = equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around
$1trillion – ends up rotting in bins or spoiling due to poor transportation
o If worldwide = switched to energy efficient light bulbs the world would save
US $120 billion annually
o If global pop reaches 9.6 billion 2050 – the equivalent of three planets could
be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current
lifestyles
consumption has impact on environment and cultures
1.Consumption culture:
- Major cause of damage to the natural environment: high levels of consumption
- Consumption is ‘the reason why anything gets produced’ (Heiskanen and Pantzar,
1997, p. 309)
- Humanity is using the resources and services of 1.31 earths, meaning that we are
using about 1/3 more of earths capacity than is available.
- (if we continue down this path we will rub out of resources)
Consumer society
- Not only are levels of consumption rising, but also, we increasingly define ourselves
by what and how we consume
- Consumption: a site for social, cultural and political activity, which increasingly
pervades new areas of our lives (Cranes & Matten, 2016)
- We find meaning, contentment and acceptance primary through consumption.
- Current consumption patterns are simply unsustainable and need to be changed if
huma society is to remain stable and at current population levels. (Assadourian,
2010)
Consumer society is built on problematic assumptions:
- That consumption can continue to increase
- That the by-products/waste created by consumption can be disposed of indefinitely.
Dominant Social Paradigm of western developed societies (continuous economic growth)
and its ideology of consumption: root causes of environmental problems (Kilbourne et al.,
1997)
Ethical & sustainable consumption
Readings- business ethics managing corporate ect chapter 8
- Sustainable consumption pg. 4-24
Why sustainable consumption?
- UN goals: ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
- Facts from UN:
o Each year, 1/3 of food = equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around
$1trillion – ends up rotting in bins or spoiling due to poor transportation
o If worldwide = switched to energy efficient light bulbs the world would save
US $120 billion annually
o If global pop reaches 9.6 billion 2050 – the equivalent of three planets could
be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current
lifestyles
consumption has impact on environment and cultures
1.Consumption culture:
- Major cause of damage to the natural environment: high levels of consumption
- Consumption is ‘the reason why anything gets produced’ (Heiskanen and Pantzar,
1997, p. 309)
- Humanity is using the resources and services of 1.31 earths, meaning that we are
using about 1/3 more of earths capacity than is available.
- (if we continue down this path we will rub out of resources)
Consumer society
- Not only are levels of consumption rising, but also, we increasingly define ourselves
by what and how we consume
- Consumption: a site for social, cultural and political activity, which increasingly
pervades new areas of our lives (Cranes & Matten, 2016)
- We find meaning, contentment and acceptance primary through consumption.
- Current consumption patterns are simply unsustainable and need to be changed if
huma society is to remain stable and at current population levels. (Assadourian,
2010)
Consumer society is built on problematic assumptions:
- That consumption can continue to increase
- That the by-products/waste created by consumption can be disposed of indefinitely.
Dominant Social Paradigm of western developed societies (continuous economic growth)
and its ideology of consumption: root causes of environmental problems (Kilbourne et al.,
1997)
