SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – A Review of Research Needs

This technical annex, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in November 2018, identifies research needs to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and a related target from SDG 8. Using a combination of literature reviews and an expert workshop, the report focuses on three key themes: cross-cutting issues, natural resource management, and food waste and loss, with a particular emphasis on the Swedish context while considering both developed and developing country perspectives.

• General challenges to achieving SDG 12 include the difficulty for countries to measure progress due to the goal's qualitative nature, the continued increase in global total and per capita material footprints, and a lack of knowledge about sustainable consumption and production (SCP) among consumers, businesses, and public-sector decision-makers.
• Research needs for cross-cutting issues include the need for whole-system perspectives to integrate supply chain knowledge, the development of sustainable business models for a circular economy, and a better understanding of consumer behavior, including the impact of shifting from goods to services and the role of social norms.
• Monitoring SDG 12 is hindered by a lack of applicable national indicators; for example, Statistics Sweden found that only two global indicators suggested by the IAEG-SDGs for SDG 12 could be applied at the national level as formulated.
• In natural resource management, research is needed on the socioeconomic implications of transitioning to resource-efficient economies, the links between resource management and conflict, security, and migration, and the role of consumption as the primary driver of increased material use.
• Food loss and waste research needs differ by economic context: developing countries require a focus on reducing post-harvest losses through improved storage, packing, and transport, while developed countries need strategies to tackle consumer-level food waste.
• There is a significant investment gap in agricultural research regarding food loss; in developing regions, post-harvest losses account for one-fifth to one-third of all food loss and waste, yet this area receives only 5% of agricultural research investment compared to 95% for increasing crop production.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – A Review of Research Needs. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-production-review-of-research-needs.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – A Review of Research Needs. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-production-review-of-research-needs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – A Review of Research Needs |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{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendsdg, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – A Review of Research Needs}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, 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} }