Quebec univ. prof. urges change of consumption, production patterns for sustainable development

14 / 07 / 2019

• Sustainable Development

A law professor at Canada’s Quebec University, Thierry Bourgoignie, urged the world to change both production and consumption patterns to foster sustainable and inclusive development for all.

“It would be both useless and unfair to require consumers to be more responsible and change their behavior if the production pattern itself remains unchanged and unsustainable,” he said during the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD)’s annual global forum on consumer issues. The event was held in Geneva on July 8-9.

He said sustainable development and consumer protection policy were closely interrelated.

“By placing emphasis on the long-term and collective needs of citizens and society at large, sustainable development gives consumer policy the opportunity for a salutary change,” Bourgoignie said.

Consumers are not just passive buyers. Their choices determine the sustainability of economic development. A consumer with accurate information, effective protection and solid rights – both online and offline – is a powerful force for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, experts taking part in the forum said.

Consumers hold the key to a sustainable future for the planet, the experts said.

“In the face of the climate crisis threatening the survival of humanity, and growing inequalities that undermine social peace, consumers have a decisive power to weigh in and set a new course for development,” UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General, Isabelle Durant, said.

She observed that consumption accounts for 60% of the global gross domestic product, and so consumers are not just passive buyers. Their choices determine the sustainability of economic development.

Sustainable consumption is not only about middle-class consumers who buy in large supermarkets, as it affects all populations in developed and developing countries.

“We need smart consumption,” Ms. Durant said, calling for policies that protect and equip consumers with full knowledge of the economic, social and environmental impacts of their choices.

Such policies could empower people to be ‘consumer-actors’ and forge a more sustainable future for all.

But it is not the responsibility of governments alone. Businesses must also do the same and improve the sustainability of the product lifecycle.

“We don’t have time. We need to act now and shift the centre of gravity. In doing so, we need to adopt a future-sensitive posture and actively nurture sustainably minded consumers,” said Laura Best, deputy chair of the Consumer Protection Tribunal of South Africa.

Consumers already recognize their responsibility for adopting sustainable lifestyles, said Consumers International’s director general, Helena Leurent.

But they also want to see action from manufactures and governments to bring about change.

“We all feel an urgency to address sustainable consumption. Consumer attitudes are changing and more people want companies to design products that are sustainable,” Ms. Leurent said.

Consumer protection lies at the heart of the most-effective policies, various experts said.

“Consumers who know their rights and enforce them are thus empowered and subject to fewer abuses. This directly improves their welfare,” said UNCTAD’s director of international trade and commodities, Pamela Coke-Hamilton.

She said consumer protection policy fits well under the UN’s 17 global goals to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind.

Ms. Coke-Hamilton noted that consumer protection was particularly critical to the achievement of goals 12 (on responsible consumption and production), 8 (on decent work and economic growth), 10 (on reducing inequalities) and 17 (on partnerships).

She urged countries to follow the UN guidelines for consumer protection in crafting and enforcing domestic and regional laws, rules and regulations that are suitable to their own contexts.