Sustainable solutions in production and consumption
Watch the following video (duration 4:06 minutes) and read the texts on this page as a review of what you learned from the video.
Concept of sustainable consumption and production
Change leadership supports transition to sustainable solutions in production and consumption. Because supply and demand actively interact with each other, there is a close connection between sustainable solutions in consumption and production.
A growing demand for sustainable products and services encourages production to become more sustainable, to apply technologies that become resources, and to change the assortment.
Accordingly, the orientation of production towards a more sustainable product or technology strengthens the incentives to change consumption to more sustainable.
In the interaction of production and consumption, it is important to pay attention to the supply chain, including all processes from the producer to the consumer. This includes educating consumers on responsible consumption and lifestyle issues by providing them with the necessary information.
Sustainable companies publish information on how much the customer contributes to reducing the CO2 footprint by using the company’s sustainable products. The implementation of responsible consumption and production helps to increase the quality of life, economic effectiveness and implement better solutions in management of costs.
Sustainable production
Sustainable production helps businesses to stand out, discover more business opportunities, shape the image of an attractive employer and the face of a business that is responsible for society and nature. Sustainable activities must be not only a declaration, but also real actions that bring tangible benefits not only to the business, but also to those around it.
The concept of sustainable production envisages a production method that causes minimal or no damage to the environment. The development of sustainable production provides opportunities to create products without compromising public welfare.
Such production is implemented in accordance with the principles of the circular economy.
Sustainability-oriented companies aim to be climate neutral – have zero impact on the environment, but in transition to sustainability they often face challenges and barriers, such as cultural, regulatory, market, and technological barriers.
To implement changes in the company’s activities, it is necessary that the company’s vision, mission, goals and strategy are integrated into the changes. Companies might face problems with laws and regulations that limit their ability to move to a circular economy model. Low prices of primary raw materials are the main reason behind the market bottlenecks. Technological barriers are associated with the high cost of advanced technologies and the difficulties in producing high-quality recycled products or developing appropriate product design.
Sustainable consumption
Sustainability is becoming an increasingly relevant topic, as a result of which consumers decide to change their purchasing habits and lifestyle, choosing more environmentally friendly solutions.
This is becoming a trend all over the world, so if the consumer knows that his purchase contributes to solving a certain problem, it increases his motivation to use responsibly.
Socially responsible consumption is when consumers make their decisions based not only on the desire to satisfy personal needs, but also taking into account the possible consequences of the decisions made on the environment and society.
Support through sustainable consumption is important for a successful transition to sustainable production. On the other hand, sustainable businesses themselves motivate society to switch to sustainable consumption. Sustainable consumption is one that causes humans to flourish along with the ecosystems.
Experts recommend how to accelerate sustainable consumption: address overconsumption, support behavior change, create support groups and make the information useful, create a sustainable value chain. The success of the transition to sustainable consumption is largely determined by design solutions and successful communication.