Rethinking Sustainable Consumption and Production – A Townhall

The Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) from India, the Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP), and the Melton Foundation join hands for a panel discussion on the topic "Rethinking Sustainable Consumption and Production: Shifting Business and Consumption Patterns"! Join us as we explore the intersection of sustainability, business, and society.

The panel discussion included speakers from businesses, academia, research organizations working on sustainability and sustainable development. During this session, we identified ideas and solutions to further sustainable consumption and production in the current scenario along with highlighting the role businesses and youth could play in promoting sustainable development goals, specifically SDG 12.

Catch the full recording of the Townhall above!  

About the Theme 

• Humanity’s advancement towards the achievement of the ambitious 17 United Nations SDGs has been sluggish at best. At this rate, our shared vision of a future that is markedly different in terms of the number of people and communities confronted with abject poverty, inequality, and climate change, would not be met. 
• There is a need for innovative approaches, greater thrust, and rapidity in actions for achieving a world envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Businesses can and will need to play a key role in this process, and can drive transformation especially by improving resource use efficiency. The business case for resource efficiency is clear – the challenge often is where and how to start and how best to communicate to the consumers/buyers. 
• This workshop introduces Guidelines for Product Sustainability Information for Consumers developed by the One Planet Network, UN Environment Programme – that can help businesses in conveying their sustainability claims to consumers/buyers.
• Millennial consumers are aware, connected and are increasingly becoming curious about the products they buy and patronize – globally. A millennial consumer has the ability to be powerful changemakers on account of these characteristics and will need to play a key role in pushing businesses to be responsible in this Decade of Action on SDGs (being resource-efficient, promoting decent jobs, and being inclusive). Youth engagement on sustainability (as advocates and actors) can be done as:
  • (i) consumers (demanding businesses to be responsible);
  • (ii) practitioners (advocates in their place of work to adopt sustainable practices);
  • (iii) peers (campuses, clubs that create buzz around sustainability) and entrepreneurs (social and circular enterprises that change the industry/business landscape).

Take-aways

• Unpacking knowledge about the pivotal role of youth engagement in sustainability
• Orientation on the Guideline for Product Sustainability Information for Consumers
• Interactions with leading sustainability professionals and organizations from the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), Melton Foundation, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), and One Planet Network. 

Meet the Panelists 

Stay tuned for more from the Melton Foundation and our partners!