The concept of 'Sustainable Consumption' came from the simple insight about the limits of our ecology to sustain our burgeoning population; as one African elder summarized the meaning of sustainable consumption - 'Enough. for all. forever.' However, what is enough? Is their a limit to nature's ability to provide and our ability to find newer uses? Are we (humans) really capable of 'controlling' the nature? If we are a part of nature too, what 'should be' the limit to our curiosity? Questions of ecology and consumption are defining our zeitgeist today. However, before hoping to arrive at the 'holy grail' of sustainability, we need to understand the context of consumption. Globalization, 24*7 media and technological advances have fundamentally altered the way we consume products, services and information. In these series of 4 articles, I will look at 4 key perspectives that would drive the sustainable agenda. Here's the first one. :)

1. Five Reasons Why We Need a
New Perspective on
Consumption.
Reimagining Sustainable Consumption
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2. Ajin
kya
1. We live in a complex world where excess
coexists with hunger.
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500 million people
worldwide are obese (as
of 2008).
About 104 million children
worldwide are underweight
(as of 2010).
Source:SeanSmith,CC2.0
Source:wikimedia.org
Source:WHO, 2013

3. Ajin
kya
2. Digital media are rewiring our brains.
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Source: Media use of American youngsters in
the age of narcisssm, 2010
Unsustainable consumption
and mountains of waste.
Source:IanBurt,CC2.0
We are “outsourcing our memories to
Google.” We are accessing information
and products “just in time” instead of
planning for “just in case.”
We are increasingly becoming highly
individualistic, even narcissistic.
Increasing brand consciousness drives
consumers’ choices.

4. Ajin
kya
3. There is a growing sense of ecological crisis.
• According to the World Economic
Forum, by 2030, 60% of the world’s
population will be in the middle-
income bracket.
• More people consuming more
products, services, energy, and media
is causing severe stress on the
environment, including global
warming, ecological disasters, and a
water crisis.
4Source: More with Less, 2012
Source:CC3.0byPablosecca,Wikimedia.org
Slavoj Žižek
Arguably one of the most important
philosopher/commentators of the
twenty-first century.
“Ecology is the new opium
of the masses, replacing
religion.”

5. Ajin
kya
4. Globalization is complicating matters.
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Globalization is also
increasing the distance
between cause and effect,
produce and consumer.
While global consciousness
is driving ecological
awareness…
Irony of
Globaliza
tion
• Longer supply chains lead to
huge ecological costs
• And also contribute to low
consumptive consciousness
• People have greater
awareness of ecological
crises
• This awareness drives
misplaced consumer guilt

6. Ajin
kya
5. Cultural practices are under threat
• Local cultures often suffer under the
juggernaut of globalization.
• Consequently, today’s zeitgeist reflects a
sense of the vulnerability of cultural
identity and a rise in extremism.
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Source:SteveEvans,flickr.com,CC2.0

7. NEW CHALLENGES
Questions to instigate change
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8. 1.
What sustainability measures can bridge the gap
between the haves and have-nots?
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9. 2.
How can we incentivize sustainability for
hypermediated minds?
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10. 3.
The notion that a consumer’s choice of product/service
should be in the service of global justice and ecology is
problematic. It burdens the consumer with unwarranted guilt
and complicates decision making.
How can we facilitate sustainable consumptive
choices?
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11. 4.
How can democratic mechanisms be utilized to
create systems that inherently favor sustainable
ways of living, producing, and growing?
What role do “commons” and open
development play?
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12. 5.
How can globalization be reimagined in a way
that facilitates cultural practices, expression in
one’s own language, and creation of social rituals?
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13. 6.
How can we reimagine taxes, aid, and valuations
of businesses to take into account not just the
monetary value of transactions but also the
ecological, social, and cultural value?
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14. Ajin
kya
Reimagine Consumption.
Thank you.
Ajinkya Pawar
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