The Earthscan Reader on Sustainable Consumption

Sustainable consumption is a controversial concept: politically, socially and intellectually. Consumption drives our economies and defines our lives; making it sustainable is an enormous and essential challenge. The World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 set in place a 10-year programme of effort by national governments to develop strategies for sustainable consumption and production. The problem of changing consumer behaviour and making our lives more sustainable continues to challenge opinion-formers and policy-makers alike. This book provides a coherent synthesis of key contributions to the literature on consumption and sustainability, comprising a substantive collection of selected papers and extracts from books, journals and institutional publications. Presented with a comprehensive introductory overview, the Reader also offers an invaluable 'route map' through the complex intellectual terrain relevant to the pursuit of sustainable consumption.

* A highly accessible yet comprehensive collection of writings from the world’s foremost thinkers on the subject

• Sustainable Consumption is a topical, multidisciplinary field and a vital component of current debates about sustainable development

• A topic with rapidly growing institutional and academic interest

Politically, intellectually, and socially, sustainable consumption is a controversial concept. Consumption drives our economies and defines our lives: making it sustainable is an enormous and essential challenge. It was a key subject covered at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, which set in place a ten-year program of effort by national governments to develop strategies for sustainable consumption and production. The problem of how to influence consumer behavior in the direction of more sustainable choices continues to challenge both opinion formers and policymakers alike.

This book provides a coherent synthesis of key contributions to the literature on consumption and sustainability, comprising a substantive collection of selected papers and extracts from books, journals, and institutional publications. Presented with a comprehensive introductory overview written by the editor, the Reader also provides an invaluable “route map” through the complex intellectual terrain relevant to the pursuit of sustainable consumption.

Tim Jackson is the Sustainable Development Commission’s Economics Commissioner. He is also Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of the newly-awarded ESRC Research Group on Lifestyles, Values and Environment (RESOLVE).