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Sustainable Business
- 1. SCP LECTURE 3 SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ESPM 60 Environmental Policy, Administration & Law Spring semester 2014 DR. RUTH DOYLE rdoyle4@tcd.ie
- 2. LECTURE OUTLINE • Behavior change – What is sustainable consumption? – Models of behavior change – Example initiatives • Sustainable business – Drivers for business action – Action: a) upstream, b) downstream, c) company-level – New business models
- 3. WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION? “The use of services and related products which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardise the needs of future generations” (Norwegian Ministry of Environment, 1994). Contested: Disagreement over the nature & extent of changes required by individuals, policy & business…
- 4. HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? “…The use of services and related products which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life…” • Needs & quality of life – difficult to define…How / should social expectations & values be shaped? Hierarchy of needs (Max-Neef, 1992) 1. Basic needs: subsistence & survival (shelter, housing, clothing, nutrition) 2. Higher needs: non-material (leisure, participation, affection, freedom, understanding, creativity, and identity) • In higher income societies, evidence shows that non-material needs can be replaced with material purchasing leading to marginal increases in happiness
- 5. DOES SC MEAN… Different interpretations: Depending on different interests & philosophies 1. CONSUMING MORE EFFICIENTLY 1. CONSUMING LESS (SUFFICIENCY) (Hinton & Goodman, 2009)
- 6. 1) CONSUMING MORE EFFICIENTLY (MAINSTREAM APPROACH)
- 7. CONSUMING MORE EFFICIENTLY Mainstream, liberal model: • Problem of SCP as market failure => eco-taxes, procurement initiatives, eco-labeling, consumer information etc. • Consumption of greener / more efficient products “green consumerism”?
- 8. THE MILLENNIALS Millennials include people in their late teens & young adults under 30 (born 80’s – 2000’s). 2011 Pew Survey: • Most likely to pay more for responsibly made products • Many are choosing buses and bikes over cars. • More supportive of stricter environmental laws • More likely to attribute global warming to human activity • More likely to favor environmentally friendly policies such as green energy development and tax incentives for hybrid vehicles. • Roughly 80% want to work for companies that care about their impacts • Consuming differently – role of responsibly & ethics
- 9. BEHAVIORAL ASSUMPTIONS Information provision Environmental Problems Environmental Awareness & Attitudes Environmental Action INFORMATION-DEFICIT MODEL Assumptions of neo-liberal ‘efficiency’ approach • People are rational, self-maximising individuals (Behavioral economics) Responses • Price it! • Informational (information-deficit model)
- 11. THE CHANGE CAMPAIGN • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v= fcty0eRFaPo
- 12. ASSUMPTIONS & EVALUATION OF MAINSTREAM APPROACH (1) 1. Information on social and environmental issues can change consumption habits - However sometimes information is incomplete / confusing “green washing”? - There are other barriers to action – we may know about environmental issues & have environmental values, but aren’t translating this into action
- 13. ASSUMPTIONS & EVALUATION OF MAINSTREAM APPROACH (2) 2. People have the motivation & ability to act on that knowledge. - Locked-in to patterns of consumption – especially in everyday habits - Not everyone cares / has money / time / resources to act - Focus on individual – can overlook social & infrastructural context
- 14. ASSUMPTIONS & EVALUATION OF MAINSTREAM APPROACH (3) 3. Consumer actions will transform systems of production & consumption - Market still remains distorted – environmental externalities & GDP - Voluntary actions - “carrot” v’s “stick” approach - Overlooks role of regulations, institutions, political & corporate power. Role of collective citizen action rather than consumer behavior HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE & MAKE CHANGES WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM.
- 15. BUSINESS ACTION 1. Drivers for business action? 1. Kinds of action: Food case studies a. Upstream action (e.g. McDonalds) b. Downstream (e.g. Walmart & Chipotle) c. Company level (e.g. B-Corps & shared value)
- 16. PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS Why would business act? • Push strategies: regulatory compliance – forcing change (1970’s formation of EPA) • Pull strategies: reduced costs (waste minimization & efficiency), new markets, competitive advantage, public pressure (reputational drivers). Responses depend on perspectives (Hoffman, 2000) • The Win-Loose Perspective: sees corporate profit generation and protecting the environment as incompatible. Trade off between economic efficiency and socio-environmental gains) • The Win-Win Perspective: sustainability providing opportunities for innovation in corporate operations, leads to new markets, products, and customers.
- 17. BUSINESS ACTION 1. Upstream: sustainable sourcing often supported by certification schemes, aimed at eradicating unsustainable production and inhumane working conditions in the supply chain. 1. Downstream: provision of information on product/service co components and ingredients; choice editing; sustainability marketing; product information. 2. Company level: scaling up integration of sustainability (social and environmental) issues into strategy, making technologies and operations as sustainable as possible; investing in radically more sustainable innovations; new business models
- 18. 1. Upstream (sustainable sourcing) More at: http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/sustainability/signatu McDonalds actions - MSC certified white fish - “varying quantities of coffee” from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms - Packaging certified by Forest Stewardship Council - Created - Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef – multi-stakeholder group, drafting principles & best practices
- 19. 2. Downstream (choice editing) Walmart: • Working with suppliers to reduce salt & sugar. • Positioning of heathy food in isles, cheaper healthy produce • “Great For You” label.
- 20. 2. Downstream – Chipotle Values Branding • Linked with their upstream policy of sourcing “as much Responsibly Raised® meat as possible and more local produce than any other restaurant company in the world”. • Responsibly Raised meat: “raised in a humane way, fed a vegetarian diet, never given hormones, and allowed to display their natural tendencies.” • Local produce = defined as being grown on farms within 350 miles (560 kilometers) of a restaurant. • GM free goal by 2014 • Vocal critic of industrial agriculture • Values branding - advertising method
- 21. CHIPOTLE http://youtu.be/aMfSGt6rHos http://youtu.be/lUtnas5ScSE • Massive growth in market share • Does Chipotle practice what it preaches? • Poor sustainability reporting practices – hard to assess Back to the Start (8 million views) The Scarecrow (12 million views)
- 22. 3. Company-level: shared value • Beyond pursuit of shareholder value alone…and beyond ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ where sustainable action is an add-on / slight modification to existing way of doing things • “Shared value involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges…businesses must reconnect company success with social progress” (Porter & Kramer, 2011: 64)….“Businesses are the most powerful force for addressing the pressing issues we face” • Company level: sustainability (social and environmental) issues at heart of business model, mission-driven, investing in radically more sustainable innovations to meet societal needs. • Needs – e.g. Microfinance (Kiva), environmental services, health & wellbeing
- 23. B-CORPS: BENEFIT CORPORATIONS http://www.youtube.com/watch?f eature=player_embedded&v=V- VFZUFJwt4 • B Corps = certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards relating to 1) governance, 2) workers conditions, 3) community, 4) environment • “for people using business as force for good”…“serving society and shareholders” (for-profit) • 950 Certified B Corps from 32 countries and 60 industries
- 24. 2) CONSUMING LESS (ALTERNATIVE APPROACH)
- 25. OVERALL REDUCTIONS IN CONSUMPTION? • Patagonia – Black Friday NYT advert • Business need to make fewer things of higher quality. • Call on people Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle. • Buy Nothing Day campaign
- 26. B) Consuming less (“sufficiency”) • Ecological footprint – shows that we need to achieve absolute reductions in consumption • “Voluntary simplicity” (frugality, anti-consumption, lifestyle focus) • New consumption communities: localisation, self-provision, off-grid • “Anti”-consumerist, Anti-capitalist, Anti-materialist, or “Alternative hedonism”? (Kate Soper, 2007)
- 27. • Peer-to-peer: lending, sharing, swapping, bartering, renting • Product-service-systems: pay for product without having to own (car / bike / clothes /art rental / appliances) • Redistribution markets: e.g. ebay, clothes swaps • Collaborative lifestyles: share interests, skills, time, money (e.g. Co- workings, neighbourhood support) CONSUMING LESS: BUSINESS RESPONSES - COLLABORATIVE CONSUMPTION
- 32. HOW DISRUPTIVE IS THE SHARING ECONOMY? • Juliet Schor - ‘Plenitude’ - a new economics based on sharing could be an antidote to the hyper-individualised, hyper-consumer culture of today, rebuilding social ties that have been lost through market culture • Others comment that new models of collaborative consumption and co- production are at risk of being co-opted by private interests, and increasingly geared towards affluent middle-class types – question if car shares, clothes swaps, co-housing, shared vacation homes etc. seriously address economic and climate chaos, unjust power dynamics or inequitable wealth distribution. • Still others, say we need a new macro-economics of sustainability with a positive environmental and social logic • New Economics Foundation - http://www.neweconomics.org/ • See more at:http://www.sharing.org/information-centre/articles/sharing-economy-short- introduction-its-political-
- 33. SUMMARY • Behavior change – What is sustainable consumption? Efficiency v Sufficiency – “Efficiency”, information provision & green consumerism – Flaws of rational actor model, market action only fails to tackle systemic issues. • Sustainable business – Upstream; Downstream – Company-level changes (shared value), B-Corps Consuming less? - Sufficiency strategies - Collaborative consumption
- 34. READINGS • Porter & Kramer (2011) ‘Shared Value: How to reinvent capitalism and unleash a wave of innovation and growth’, Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb 2011 issue • http://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-shared-value • Seyfang, G. 2005 “Shopping for Sustainability: Can Sustainable Consumption Promote Ecological Citizenship?” Environmental Politics, 14:2, 290-306 • Hinton, E. & Goodman, M. (2010) ‘Sustainable Consumption: Developments, considerations and new directions’. Chapter 16 in Woodgate, G., and Redclift M. (eds) International Handbook of Environmental Sociology (2nd edition) , London: Edward Elgar Publishing http://www.kcl.ac.uk/content/1/c6/03/95/42/mike4.pdf • Fedrigo, D. & Tukker, A. (2009) ‘Blueprint for sustainable consumption and production’, SCORE! Sustainable Consumption Research Exchange
Hinweis der Redaktion
- Most common definition in European policy and within sustainability circles in the US is this one developed in Norway Basically about providing necessary requirements for life – basic needs and quality of life About future – so requires advanced planning. And requires coordinated action – taking about life-cycle of products & services – which we spoke about last week – is a disparate P-C chain. However the extent and nature of changes required is hotly contested. Especially regarding the role of social & cultural change Also – Q of Needs, Quality of Life. At what point does consumption turn to consumerism, how much is enough? When does it become too much?
- Basic needs & quality of life – are to a degree subjective constructs, who decides what they are If talking about levels of consumption - requires policy to engage with areas that it’s not v comfortable in engaging in normative, value oriented and critical reflection – how (should) they be managed and in what way should they be directed. Basic - Higher Consuming more does not necessarily achieve Higher Needs. However in consumer society, non-material needs often fulfilled through purchasing – marginal improvement of happiness – this is when it becomes consumerism. The lines become more blurred. But Consumerism is deeply embedded, will not just magically disappear from its central place in our culture. It needs to be supplanted by something.
- Differing definitions depending on the interest, philosophy of the definer and this is crucial as it has implications for the strategies that are adopted to work towards it’s achievement. Consuming more efficiently? Consuming more responsibly? Consuming less? - How much individual change in behaviour and lifestyles? Will show prevalence for definition of SC based on ‘weak definition’ Such definitions prioritise production-side fixes rather than addressing moral concerns and concepts of ecological limits and sufficiency which are often considered the more contentious aspects of sustainable consumption
- Previous lecture spoke about REG However more common approach is MBI – less interventionist – hope that market will respond with new innovations. Eco-taxes – because at the moment, green products often more expensive, but surely should be other way around More efficiently use of what one already consumes. Efficient light bulbs, cars, houses, appliances More consumption of green stuff? “greening consumption”
- Does anyone here purchase that way? Not only consuming efficiently, consuming differently Can see trends for at least a more responsible form of consumerism Not just more efficient – but emotional reasoning and some sense of global and ecological citizenship. Becomes more of a guiding compass in their consumer political and consumption choices, but also in how they want to work and live their lives. Responsible consumption becoming more widely expected and want to consume in a way that matches values. Will go through some business models that have sprung up to tap into this sentiment. Responsibly – regard for environmental and social impacts…using your moral compass to decide your consumption decisions. Support of environmental and socially-related ‘alternative’ causes such as fair trade, organic etc. – responsibility to distant others. Merge socio-environmental – e.g. local food, support local and reduce carbon footprint. She concludes, "The millennials' relationship with money seems quite simple. They do not have a lot of it, and what they do have, they seem reluctant to spend. Millennials are buying fewer cars and houses, and despite their immersion in consumer culture, particularly electronics, they are not really spending beyond their limited means. Their credit card debt has declined, most likely because many millennials can't get a credit card, and in part because they know they cannot afford to spend now and pay back later."
- Information deficit model = individuals are rational actors – make decisions based on information available Non interventionist – soft policy approaches Target the consumer but also aim to green the market – reward products and srvices that are kinder to the environment Weak monitoring and compliance is not monitored – countries are meant to control it Weak i[date of certified labels in Ireland and other countries Which? Survey 2010 Difficult to understand – do they simplify the problem etc – by choosing one label only….?? – reduyce capacity for individual reasoning. FT = narrowly market-based as it places limits on who can partake in fair trade networks—at both the consumption and production ends—in order to create value through the ‘preciousness’ of these quality-driven markets Northern benevolence, reproducing oppositions between active consumers and passive recipients and so flattening out what are already unequal power relations
- Pay attention to the framing Its up to us how this story ends – see online for what you can do. Future generations Emotions Victoria, Australia Save energy and you’ll also save money You have the power to make a difference. Tendency to discount the future…. With that info alone, would you know what to do? Or be able to change your behaviour?
- Each generation has it’s own challenges. Single biggest challenge we face. Change your world, change the world. However, as the other one said over 40% GHG from our daily activities
- Know & care – however incomplete information, how do we know to trust… INSTURMENTS of contrlol for environmental claims – no sanctions for misleading claims, Limited success in tackling habitual household consumption practices Flaws -simplistic – information, correct the price, behaviour will follow Other motivations for consumption- social norms, etc. Top down Narrow interpretations of what SC - is, and how it should be governed and encouraged = Key hindrance to advancement of SCP Reduce action to green purchasing choices, individualization of responsibility – not only attitudes and rational actions that determine behaviour, but material, organisational and social context. Environmental citizens work with the idea of rights and responsibilities, emphasising the right to a liveable amount of ecological space and the responsibility of those who are occupying too much of that space to reduce their ‘ecological footprint’, through both private and public action Ecological citizenship: Pro-environmental behaviour, in public and in private, driven by a belief in fairness of the distribution of environmental goods, in participation, and in the co-creation of sustainability policy. Altruism (beyond ‘rational’ consumption) “voting with your wallet” – blurring boundaries of citizenship / consumerism --
- Know & care – however incomplete information, how do we know to trust… INSTURMENTS of contrlol for environmental claims – no sanctions for misleading claims, Limited success in tackling habitual household consumption practices Flaws -simplistic – information, correct the price, behaviour will follow Other motivations for consumption- social norms, etc. Top down Narrow interpretations of what SC - is, and how it should be governed and encouraged = Key hindrance to advancement of SCP Reduce action to green purchasing choices, individualization of responsibility – not only attitudes and rational actions that determine behaviour, but material, organisational and social context. Environmental citizens work with the idea of rights and responsibilities, emphasising the right to a liveable amount of ecological space and the responsibility of those who are occupying too much of that space to reduce their ‘ecological footprint’, through both private and public action Ecological citizenship: Pro-environmental behaviour, in public and in private, driven by a belief in fairness of the distribution of environmental goods, in participation, and in the co-creation of sustainability policy. Altruism (beyond ‘rational’ consumption) “voting with your wallet” – blurring boundaries of citizenship / consumerism --
- Know & care – however incomplete information, how do we know to trust… Yet still externalise externalities… Ireland – no instruments of contrlol for environmental claims – no sanctions for misleading claims, Nordic Swan- 1200 products Sweden stand along ministry for sustainable development Limited success in tackling habitual household consumption practices Flaws -simplistic – information, correct the price, behaviour will follow Other motivations for consumption- social norms, etc. Top down Narrow interpretations of what SC - is, and how it should be governed and encouraged = Key hindrance to advancement of SCP Reduce action to green purchasing choices, individualization of responsibility – not only attitudes and rational actions that determine behaviour, but material, organisational and social context. Environmental citizens work with the idea of rights and responsibilities, emphasising the right to a liveable amount of ecological space and the responsibility of those who are occupying too much of that space to reduce their ‘ecological footprint’, through both private and public action Ecological citizenship: Pro-environmental behaviour, in public and in private, driven by a belief in fairness of the distribution of environmental goods, in participation, and in the co-creation of sustainability policy. Altruism (beyond ‘rational’ consumption) “voting with your wallet” – blurring boundaries of citizenship / consumerism --
- 27. Business Responsibility for Products (APRIL 29): In-class ASSIGNMENT NO. 3 Presentations TODAY. We will look at how business can take greater responsibility for their consumer products, using the case of food production, and why/how markets may help achieve more sustainable practices. Today we will use your research assignments in a long class exercise.
- Added specialist staff of pollution control teams. Reactionary Meeting minimum standards Basic example: carve out a whole new market from coming up with a creative way to label products with their lifecycle impacts so that consumers are better informed. Espc responding to environmental compliance challenges.
- Important to note that all of these actions are voluntary Perceived need to keep up with consumer preferences. Over the years, we've worked hand-in-hand with our suppliers to get better at responsible purchasing. For example, we purchase whitefish from Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries, as well as varying quantities of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms and packaging certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. ver the years, we've worked hand-in-hand with our suppliers to get better at responsible purchasing. For example, we purchase whitefish from Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries, as well as varying quantities of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms and packaging certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. We're now committing to a goal of purchasing verified sustainable beef. This sounds simple, but it's actually a big challenge because there hasn't been a universal definition of sustainable beef. That's why we joined forces with other stakeholders to build coalitions and influence industry-wide change. For instance, we collaborated with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Cargill, JBS, and others to develop the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB). We began our work in 2011, and now, this multi-stakeholder group has drafted guiding principles and best practices for sustainable beef - a breakthrough for the beef industry, and for McDonald's.
- Along with pepsi-co, kraft foods etc – promise to obama last spring to cut calories, sodium or portion sizes.
- Rather, “Farmed and Dangerous,” billed as a “Chipotle original series,” hopes to promote the company’s concerns about sustainable agriculture and the humane treatment of animals used for meat. This stealth marketing strategy, Chipotle executives say, is not about “product integration,” but “values integration. Last year, the company said it was considering changing its standards to let it serve beef treated with antibiotics due to illness. There haven’t been any changes to the company’s beef standards, Arnold said. Chipotle recently hasn’t been able to get enough sustainably raised beef to meet demand and is looking at ways to increase its supply of naturally raised beef including finding new suppliers and using different cuts of meat, Arnold said. Chipotle will “continue to let our customers know when we don’t have enough naturally raised beef,” he said. Last year, 86 percent of beef, 99 percent of chicken and all of the pork Chipotle sold was what it defines as naturally raised. In total, 94 percent of all the meat it sold was naturally raised, less than the 99.9 percent in 2012. “They’re not terribly transparent with setting goals and targets within the Food With Integrity program,” said Susan Baker, vice president of shareholder advocacy and corporate engagement at Trillium, which first contacted Chipotle in 2008 about its pesticide policies. “They could really benefit and improve their credibility around the Food With Integrity philosophy with more meaningful reporting,” she said.
- What do you think? Would you trust them? Shop there ? – creating a buzz, that naturally leads people to buy the product. Associate with the story and the lifestyle and values its promoting. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/09/chipotle-commercial-sustainable-food-truth
- 1. reconcieving products & markets (customers embrace products that have more positive social and environmental benefits) reducing waste, reusing resources etc. Kenya M-pesa mobile banking serving 11% countryes gdp. Microfinance. Needs as opportunities. 2. Redefining productivity in the value chain – Walmart packaging and reroutign trucks. Energy use, logistics, resource use, distribution models Enabling local cluster development
- http://www.article-3.com/delaware-unites-business-and-social-good-with-b-corp-legislation-912307 Gov – mission, stakeholder engagement, transparency. Workers – compensation, benefits, ownership, flexible, upskilling Comm – supplier relations, local engagement, diversity – if company is addressing a social purpose Envy – materials, resource, energy, emissions, purpose etc. Serves 1 million meals to low income families Their meals are all compliant with the National School Lunch program. This allows them to create greater access to nutritional meals and enables them to serve the 80% of their student base who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. They are committed to doing nothing short of making lasting improvements in the way their children eat and making healthy eating a universal right. Providing nutritious meals in school is just the first step to combating the trend of unhealthy eating behaviors. By coupling access to healthy foods along with their in-school nutrition education programs, they're fostering a foundation of healthy eating behaviors in children and providing the tools they need to make decisions for a healthier future. . Certify the company as a whole, Not just products 700 certified in the world. Across sectors B Corp certification is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building or Fair Trade certification is to coffee. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Today, there is a growing community of nearly 1000 Certified B Corps from more than 30 countries and 60 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business. Through the leadership of the B Corp Community, laws have been passed in 22 states, plus DC, creating a new type of corporation—the benefit corporation—that best meets the needs of entrepreneurs and investors seeking to use business as a force for good. Benefit corporations operate the same as traditional corporations but with higher standards of corporate purpose, accountability, and transparency. Benefit corporations give leaders legal protection to pursue a higher purpose than profit, and offer the public greater transparency to protect against pretenders.
- As Annie Leonard, spokesperson for The Story of Stuff Project says, “There’s a reason “recycling” comes last in the mantra… Recycling is what we do when we’re out of options to avoid, repair, or reuse the product first.” According to the Patagonia blog, The Cleanest Line, “It’s time for us as a company to address the issue of consumerism and do it head on. The most challenging, and important, element of the Common Threads Initiative is this: to lighten our environmental footprint, everyone needs to consume less. Businesses need to make fewer things but of higher quality. Customers need to think twice before they buy.” In Patagonia’s Common Threads Initiative, they outline exactly how they want to partner with you, their customer, to Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle. As Annie Leonard, spokesperson for The Story of Stuff Project says, “There’s a reason “recycling” comes last in the mantra… Recycling is what we do when we’re out of options to avoid, repair, or reuse the product first.”
- Or does it require this – back to the land, sufficiency, local food only etc. Crazy hair No consumption of global food products. More consumption of green stuff? (preserve sanctity of economic growth model) soverignty in consumer choice Or deeper approaches – based on questioning underlying assumptions about the way society functions – tackling vested interests, the role fo consumption in economic growth. Efficiency & productivity – framing of the problem “greening consumption” Middle class – only pursued by those who have the means to overconsume in the first instance Self discipline and abstention – religious orders Philosophy and theology Islam: “riches are not from an abundance of worldly goods, but from a contented mind” Soper – lifestyle programmes on the Good Life. Thus, there is a range of activity included here, from beginner voluntary simplifiers who might support some aspects of lifestyle changes based around shopping choices and limited green activities (e.g. buying fair trade products or recycling waste) to much more established voluntary simplifiers who freely choose a frugal, anti-consumption lifestyle featuring low resource use and minimal environmental impacts (McDonald et al 2006); the contemporary phenomenon of ‘freeganism’, where ‘freegans’ only consume things that they don’t buy, fits on this latter, more ‘radical’ portion of the spectrum Thus, by capitalising on this disenchantment with consumerism and re-directing people’s desires towards the 19 Sustainable consumption: developments and new directions (v2) cultural and artistic aesthetics of ‘anti-consumption consumption’
- New technologies coupled with old impulses promote us to share. Makes sense – plays to user interest – vs self sacrifice Challenging tragedy of the commons arguments Open source More mainstream vs counter culture Traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, gifting and swapping redefined through technology and peer communities http://thepeoplewhoshare.com/ http://collaborativeconsumption.com/ Peers.org http://www.sharing.org/information-centre/articles/sharing-economy-short-introduction-its-political-evolution?dm_i=M4P,24K5C,346SUQ,7OD54,1
- but some controversy surrounds the broader vision of how the sharing economy movement can contribute to a fair and sustainable world. For many advocates of the burgeoning trend towards economic sharing in modern cities, it is about much more than couch-surfing, car sharing or tool libraries, and holds the potential to disrupt the individualist and materialistic assumptions of neoliberal capitalism. For example, Juliet Schor in her book Plenitude perceives that a new economics based on sharing could be an antidote to the hyper-individualised, hyper-consumer culture of today, and could help rebuild the social ties that have been lost through market cultur - See more at: http://www.sharing.org/information-centre/articles/sharing-economy-short-introduction-its-political-evolution?dm_i=M4P,24K5C,346SUQ,7OD54,1#sthash.5ACbm0Z2.zzmSmv2w.dpuf
- “Every society clings to a myth by which it lives. Ours is the myth of economic growth” (Jackson, 2009: 5) environmental & social externalities Growth in GDP – adequate measurement of prosperity / progress? New macro-economics of sustainability with a positive environmental and social logic Where in the past we focused more on wealth, growth and efficiency, the future will need to be about well-being, quality and sufficieincy” (Tukker et al., 2009:3)