Doing More with Less: Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production

The document traces the history of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the adoption of SDG 12, highlighting a shift in UN discourse from inter-generational equity and consumption limits toward a more business-friendly focus on innovation and decoupling. It notes that despite multilateral commitments, the global material footprint grew by 17.4% between 2010 and 2017. The brief advocates for a 'systems approach' and a transition from linear to circular material flows, while suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic and climate emergency necessitate a new economic paradigm that prioritizes social well-being and the common good over GDP growth.

• Global resource consumption is reaching critical levels; if the population hits 9.6 billion by 2050, the Earth would need nearly three planets' worth of natural resources to maintain current lifestyles.
• There is a significant environmental impact linked to household consumption and the fashion industry, with households contributing 21% of carbon dioxide emissions and the clothing industry driving the deforestation of 70 million trees annually for wood-based fabrics.
• The global material footprint—the primary materials needed for basic life requirements—increased by 17.4%, rising from 73.2 billion metric tons in 2010 to 85.9 billion metric tons in 2017.
• Implementation of the ten-year framework of programmes (10YFP) has been limited, as only 10% of policies reported in 2019 by 79 countries and the EU utilized economic and financial instruments.
• The UN's approach to SCP has shifted from the Brundtland Commission's focus on equity and consumption volumes toward a 'business-friendly' emphasis on innovation and the belief that economic growth can be decoupled from resource depletion.
• The International Resource Panel advocates for a 'systems approach' to achieve SDG 12, which involves transitioning from 'linear' material flows (extraction to disposal) to 'circular' flows through intelligent design, reuse, and recycling.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for the 2030 Agenda and prompted movements to replace or complement GDP with well-being indicators and a 'foundational economy' focusing on essential social consumption like healthcare and housing.

APA

Doran,, P. (2021). Doing More with Less: Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/doing-more-less-ensuring-sustainable-consumption-and-production

Chicago

Doran,, Peter. Doing More with Less: Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/doing-more-less-ensuring-sustainable-consumption-and-production.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Doran, |first1=Peter |title=Doing More with Less: Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=18 August 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/doing-more-less-ensuring-sustainable-consumption-and-production |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{doran2021doing, author = {Doran,, Peter}, title = {{Doing More with Less: Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/doing-more-less-ensuring-sustainable-consumption-and-production}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }