Sustainable consumption policy – real life impact, ambition, and potential

1. Sustainable consumption policy – real life impact, ambition, and potential Norma Schönherr, Öko-Institut e.V. Germany Eva Heiskanen, Kristiina Aalto, National Consumer Research Centre, Finland

2. Background • Sustainable consumption on the political agenda since Rio Earth Summit, 1992 • yet rarely examined as a separate policy field with very specific ambitions and characteristics • that require an integrated policy response across several governmental scales • if the problems linked to (over) consumption and production are to be successfully tackled!

3. Agenda • Summary results of a three-year European research project, EUPOPP (www.eupopp.net) • focus: food and housing • current consumption trends examined • comparative analysis of case studies: 10 cases selected for detailed analysis from an inventory of 40 SC policy instruments • developed scenarios for future impacts of integrated SC instrument bundles • This presentation: • factors of success and failure that explain limited success in promoting sustainable consumption so far • lessons for future policy design and implementation • opportunities and challenges for future SC policy

4. Conceptual framework of EUPOPP Output Sustainable consumption strategies Sustainable consumption instruments & measures Regulatory Economic Communicative Procedural Implementation Outcome Pathways for policy influence Context factors Framework conditions Market Social & physical environment Consumer behaviour Systems of provision Impact Sustainability impact Environmental Social Economic

5. Housing Outcome Food Outcome Detailed cases analysed

6. Success factors and barriers to effectiveness • A valid intervention logic • e.g. blind spots (-); targets, monitoring, control (+) • Accommodation of consumer needs and practices • consumer-friendly design, understanding of user practices • Targeting consumer behaviour & framework conditions • enabling systems of provision needed for changes in consumption • Stakeholder involvement • +/-, involvement in implementation often needed • Market context • prices, availability, transparency, trust • Policy interaction • synergetic/antagonistic with other policy fields • Other factors • communication, political support, resources for implementation

7. Impact assessment in EUPOPP • Based on most promising bundles of instruments • Using MFA to quantify effects • Sustainable housing in 2030 • top-runner scheme for BAT appliances, optimising EPBD with ’scrapping’ requirement, individual heat metering, RES heating quotas, minimum energy performance standards for air conditioning, capacity building for building owners and users, energy/CO2 tax • Sustainable food in 2030 • vegetarian day/week in public canteens, awareness-raising and social proof, tax on meat products, reducing food waste via extended best-before, tax exemption & public procurement for organic food, capacity building

8. Sustainable consumption scenarios - food • What difference can new policy instruments in the need area of food make for sustainable consumption in EU-27 by 2030? • Changing diet composition towards less meat and high-fat dairy could significantly reduce food related GHG emissions • Reducing food wastage holds the biggest GHG reduction potential – currently there are no instruments tackling this issue • Organic food is already on the rise - additional instruments may still be useful 4% (SC-1) / 16% (SC-2) emissions reduction

9. Sustainable consumption scenarios - housing • Large GHG reductions could be achieved by making currently existing instruments more effective • Improving the rate of retrofits and mainstreaming green heating alternatives are key for sustainability • The available instrument pool is much larger than for food – policy learning and collaboration! • What difference can new policy instruments in the need area of housing make for sustainable consumption in EU27 by 2030? 26% (SC1) and 28% (SC2) emissions reduction

10. Lessons for policy makers Global resource pressures: current consumption patterns not affordable in the long term  • Enhancing existing instruments • Decision makers should not recoil from demanding instruments, ambitious targets – and enforcing them • Target consumers better by accommodating their needs & practices, capacities & personal life situations • Tap into the potential of creating immediate co-benefits, highlight progress and achievements • Improving collaboration and coordination • Positive messages rather than guilt • Coordinated action among policy, industry, civil society • Adjustment of notions concerning quality of life • Bundling and ensuring policy coherence • Sustainable consumption and sustainable production policies need to be more closely aligned • Away from an individual policy focus towards coherent policy mixes or bundles

11. Thanks! EUPOPP consortium: http://www.eupopp.net Comments and further questions: n.schoenherr@oeko.de eva.heiskanen@ncrc.fi