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Consumption is deemed sustainable when it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Modern consumption delivers its benefits unequally, pollutes the environment, and simply cannot be sustained. The international agenda to make consumption sustainable has come up against social justice issues, environmental justice issues and economic viability issues. This thesis poses the following research objectives: 1) explore the meaning(s) of sustainable consumption in the lives of consumers attempting to live sustainably, 2) explore the motivations for practicing sustainable consumption, and 3) identify the policies needed to achieve sustainable consumption. This thesis utilizes in-depth interviews to gain a better understanding of the meanings, motives, and policies for sustainable consumption. The research discovered that sustainable consumption has ten different meanings: future consciousness, behavioural change, negation of misconsumption, negation of overconsumption, awareness and responsibility, resilience and regeneration, waste elimination, local production, eco-efficiency, and renewable energy use. Eight motivations were found for practicing sustainable consumption: saving the planet, securing the basics, real satisfaction, art practice, being the change, sense of belonging, social enterprise and meaningful purpose. Thirteen different policy requirements were identified: radical policy change, sustainable government spending, build mutual trust, revival of democracy, bottom-driven and top-enabled policy, remove policy barriers, improved measurement systems, sustainable business practice, eco-effective waste management, market intervention, renewable infrastructure, living with less and cultural revolution. |
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