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Policies to promote sustainable consumption: Innovative approaches in Europe
Author(s) -
Scholl Gerd,
Rubik Frieder,
Kalimo Harri,
Biedenkopf Katja,
Söebech Ólöf
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2010.01294.x
Subject(s) - incentive , consumption (sociology) , sustainability , business , action plan , adaptability , promotion (chess) , documentation , sustainable development , environmental economics , sustainable consumption , economics , computer science , political science , ecology , social science , programming language , management , sociology , politics , law , biology , microeconomics
Policy‐makers are increasingly recognising that the promotion of more sustainable consumption patterns is an indispensable prerequisite for achieving sustainable development in the long term. Policy documents and action plans have been published, and a wide array of policy instruments has been implemented with the aim of reducing the environmental and social burdens of consuming goods and services. But what are the latest trends and innovative approaches in sustainable consumption (SC) policies? What could be learnt for future policy‐making? Based on an overview of European policy instruments and several case studies, the paper discusses instructive examples of SC policy instruments, in particular the Danish information campaign “One Tonne Less”, the Dutch tax incentive scheme “Green Funds”, the British “Red/Green calculator”, and the pan‐European internet platform “TopTen”. Important features of novel policies — such as adaptability and collective action — are identified, and recommendations for future policies are presented. The recommendations refer to the foundation of SC policies, to the specific approach taken, to the applied instruments, and to the proper documentation of the implemented policies.