SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The report identifies critical research gaps in sustainable consumption and production (SCP), focusing on three themes: cross-cutting systemic issues, natural resource management, and food waste and loss. It argues that political efforts must shift from increasing efficiency to decreasing overall consumption and calls for a more integrated, whole-supply-chain approach to research and policy.

• The qualitative nature of SDG 12 creates significant challenges for countries attempting to measure their progress, and there is a critical need for more coordinated and unambiguous evidence from social science to inform policy-making.
• Global material footprints continue to rise despite regional successes in reducing domestic material consumption; consequently, political focus needs to transition from improving efficiency to reducing aggregate consumption.
• There are significant research gaps regarding the systemic drivers of consumption, including how economic and finance systems constrain sustainable business practices and the potential rebound effects of sustainability-oriented economic changes.
• Effective transition to sustainable consumption requires research into consumer behaviour, the role of social and cultural norms, and the identification of policy instruments that can effectively manage demand for high-impact goods like air transport.
• Sustainable natural resource management is hindered by the differing interests of net raw material importing and exporting countries, where importers seek low prices and efficiency while exporters benefit from higher volumes and prices.
• Food loss and waste patterns differ by economic context: wealthier countries experience more waste at the consumption stage, while developing countries suffer more from losses during production, handling, and storage.
• Agricultural research investment is heavily skewed toward increasing crop production, with only 5% of investment directed toward reducing post-harvest losses in developing countries, despite the cost-effectiveness of the latter.

APA

Chan, S., Weitz, N., Persson, Å., & Trimmer, C. (2018). SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-production-review-of-research-needs.pdf

Chicago

Chan, Stefanie, Nina Weitz, Åsa Persson, and Caspar Trimmer. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-production-review-of-research-needs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chan |first1=Stefanie |last2=Weitz |first2=Nina |last3=Persson |first3=Åsa |last4=Trimmer |first4=Caspar |title=SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-production-review-of-research-needs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chan2018sdg, author = {Chan, Stefanie and Weitz, Nina and Persson, Åsa and Trimmer, Caspar}, title = {{SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-production-review-of-research-needs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }