If everyone lived the lifestyle of the average person in western Europe, we would need three planets to support us. Meanwhile, about one billion people live in extreme poverty, unable to access the minimum needed for a decent quality of life.
Our vision is to see sustainable consumption become the norm for everyone. Consumers are critical to building a safe, healthy and sustainable future. To help meet net zero goals we make changes to our lifestyles – how we travel, how we heat, cool and power homes, the food we eat and the products we buy. Yet for consumers to make those shifts we need support from decision-makers, large scale transformations in the marketplace and an environment which strengthens consumer rights and maintains consumer confidence.
At Consumers International, we unite those committed to change to turn our vision into reality. This includes our work across food, energy, plastics and more. Together we build innovative projects, launch calls to action, gather strong evidence and ensure the consumer voice is heard on the international stage.
Our food systems are failing both people and planet. With over 3 billion people unable to afford a healthy diet and food systems causing a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, urgent reforms are needed. Changing production practices is not enough – we also need to shift how food is distributed and consumed. To achieve this, some of our work includes bridging gaps between stakeholders, particularly farmers and consumer, such as sharing our Action Agenda at COP28. Transforming food systems requires interconnected actions in production, distribution, and consumption to address food security, nutrition, safety, and sustainability.
Our focus on food goes beyond sustainable consumption. We believe in upholding the right to food, and making healthy and sustainable diets more accessible and affordable for consumers. We work with members to address urgent consumer challenges at the national level, such as our recent work on Fair Food Prices.
In the past six years we have consumed over half a trillion tonne of materials. By 2040, plastic pollution on earth is projected to reach up to 1.3 billion tonnes. Without bold action to scale and shift consumption towards the circular economy, a crisis looms for people and planet.
However, there is hope. The UN Environment Programme has stated that plastic pollution could be reduced by 80% with policy and market shifts.
Consumers International is working with key decision makers and industry leaders to remove barriers preventing consumers from accessing and engaging in the circular economy.
Two years ago, the energy crisis took the world by storm, forcing leaders worldwide to reassess geopolitical dependencies, consumer behaviour, and to introduce innovations and tools for necessary shifts. To ensure consumers are both empowered and supported in achieving a fast, fair, and accountable energy transition, our 2023 World Consumer Rights Day centred on ‘Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions.' Additionally, we hosted our Clean Energy Conference, where 590 leaders convened to discuss the critical aspects of affordability, sustainability, and security for consumers.
Together with leaders in the sector, Consumers International harness the power of collaboration to address the barriers consumers face in adopting clean energy practices. We design interventions that help consumers everywhere engage in and benefit from the transition.
One of the biggest barriers consumers face is a lack of clear and reliable information on the sustainability impacts of products. Since 2014, Consumers International have co-led the Consumer Information for Sustainable Consumption & Production (CI-SCP) Programme, part of the UN’s One Planet Network. This educates consumers and promotes sustainable living by enhancing product sustainability, behavioural science, and improving standards and labelling. Read more.
We also launched the GreEnCommerce project in 2022 to harness e-commerce's potential for sustainable consumption. Misleading sustainability claims have eroded consumer trust, particularly in e-commerce where consumers are vulnerable to manipulation. This project included policy reviews, stakeholder consultations, and global collaboration to help improve the product sustainability information received by consumers worldwide.
In the face of rising living costs, climate change, and new technologies, consumers everyday lives are evolving. Although the need for a green transition is clear, there's a gap between intention and action. To bridge this gap, we developed the report ‘Global Consumer Archetypes to Foster Sustainable Living’ with GlobeScan, based on data from 30,000 consumers in 31 markets. Our findings show 94% support a green economy, and we identified four consumer segments to target for sustainable living.
Green Action Week is our annual global campaign held 1st - 9th October. It celebrates innovations that advance Sustainable Development Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) and showcases the impactful work of consumer advocacy groups worldwide. Projects since 2018 have focused on creating cultures of sharing and collaboration, addressing issues like sustainable fishing, recycling, and sustainable transportation. Our theme for 2024 is ‘Sharing Community,’ which promotes equitable and sustainable access to goods and services.
It is cordinated by Consumers International and funded by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) through the Green Action Fund.
We will continue to share our message ahead of key global sustainability events:
To connect with us, or if you are interested to learn more about our work, or to explore opportunities for partnership, please contact: impact@consint.org.
Consumers International, the UN Environment Programme and the One Planet Network have released three key messages and five case studies to improve consumer communications on plastic packaging.
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I recently had the privilege of representing Consumers International at the 4th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) - where member states are tasked with a monumental challenge - to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
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