IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Fall 2013 - 8

POLICY PERSPECTIVES

Empowering Sustainable
Consumption

CLINTON J.
ANDREWS

nvironmental policy once focused only on
pollutes more air and water than for plastic cups, but
producers: the relatively few business enterplastic cups do not quickly biodegrade [2]. A nice
prises that needed to clean up their smokeceramic mug is only better if I keep it a long time
stacks and sewage outfalls. While important,
and rarely wash it. Reasonable people may disagree
emphasis on producers hasn't been enough to stem the
on the weight to give each category of impact. Most
tide of environmental degradation, because many of
of us will not have the capacity to sort through these
the worst insults come from consumption activities,
tradeoffs even after that first cup of coffee.
not production. Consumption-related problems are
Eco-labels, such the Energy Star designation for
large and growing, as Beijing's un-breathable air and
energy-efficient appliances, can help guide choices.
New York's mounting garbage exports illustrate.
There are now so many eco-labels competing for
Current thinking - mostly outside government -
attention that websites such as greenerchoices.org
identifies consumer-oriented solutions that seek to
have emerged to separate the useful labels from the
improve the quality of life per unit
"greenwash." Resources like goodof expenditure rather than just makMany of the worst guide.com assign ratings instead of
ing more stuff available. The newer
labels to products, and their smartenvironmental
approach seeks to change the expendiphone apps let consumers access the
insults come from information while they shop. These
ture mix to encourage a shift to immaterial goods and services, to intensify
consumer information efforts depend
consumption
use within combined product-service
on a mix of governmental and thirdactivities, not
systems, and to make greener prodparty activities that varies across
production.
ucts available [1]. What are the proscountries. They help the 15% or so of
pects for this sustainable consumption
consumers who are interested in dismovement? Its success depends on better discerncerning which products are more sustainable.
ment, magnified influence, and avoiding unintended
consequences.
Can Consumer Choices Drive the Economy

Can Consumers Discern which
Products are More Sustainable?
Every morning I choose whether to buy coffee in a
paper or plastic cup. Scientific assessments of the
life-cycle environmental impacts of such choices are
sometimes inconclusive. The manufacture, use, and
disposal of paper cups requires more petroleum and
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MTS.2013.2281225
Date of publication: 26 September 2013

in a More Sustainable Direction?

Studies of consumer-producer dynamics are pessimistic about quickly moving economies in a more
sustainable direction entirely as a result of bottom-up
consumer choices. The Toyota Prius story is emblematic. The efficient Prius has established a strong niche
market position but the only way hybrid vehicles are
entering the mainstream is through cost reductions
that allow the technology to outcompete existing
systems on their own terms. It appears that the key
elements in the emergence of a green niche product

Clinton J. Andrews is a professor and associate dean at the E.J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A. Email: c.j.andrews@ieee.org.
8

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

fALL 2013

http://www.greenerchoices.org http://www.guide.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Fall 2013