A reflection on underconsumption and sufficiency

Underconsumption  

One of the pillars of the conversation around sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is that an absolute reduction in the use of natural resources is necessary to meet climate change, biodiversity, and pollution ambitions (International Resource Panel (IRP)).  

But if I were to focus only on the overconsumption of resources, I would be telling half the tale. 

Borrowing from the vocabulary of international environmental law, we are reminded that countries have a common but differentiated responsibility in environmental degradation, that is, all states (and people, we may add) are responsible yet not equally responsible.

Indeed, unsustainable consumption and production patterns depend both on the excessive consumption of natural resources, taking place mostly in developed economies, but also on the underconsumption of basic goods and services, particularly in developing countries.

Overconsumption and underconsumption are two sides of the same coin, which is an inequitable distribution of resources. 

Based on a 2019 study by the International Resource Panel (IRP), in high-income countries, the average person has a material footprint that is 60% greater than that in an upper-middle-income country, and over 13 times greater than that in a low-income country. Put simply, resources are not shared equitably across the globe, in a way that penalizes the most vulnerable individuals. To ensure at least that basic needs are met everywhere, a fair distribution of the use of natural resources is just as relevant as its reduction of the global scale. 

Let's take the example of food. FAO has estimated that the number of people affected by hunger rose to 828 million in 2021. At the same time, roughly 14% of the world's food is lost after being harvested and before it reaches the shops; UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index has also reported that 17% is wasted in retail and by consumers in their households. In total, all of the food that is wasted could feed annually 1.26 billion people. 

Resource use to meet growing human needs in emerging and developing economies should be balanced by absolute reductions in resource use in developed economies (IRP, 2019).

Sufficiency 

When reflecting on these topics, I can’t help but go back to the conversation on la sobrieté, adding new texture and exploring more in-depth how this captivating concept translates into different fields. The concept of sobrieté entered the policy debate in the 1990s thanks to Sachs, labeled as “sufficiency” (take also a look at Princen). Sufficiency has emerged in the discourse on SCP (and more recently, climate mitigation) as a better alternative to efficiency, namely as a  

“set of policy measures and daily practices which avoid the demand for energy, materials, land, water, and other natural resources while delivering a decent living standard for all within planetary boundaries”

(Hot or Cool Institute ).

Crucially, this approach focuses on high-consuming classes to change their consumption patterns and reduce their consumption levels.  

This reduction is determined by a cap that allows for sustainable lifestyles within a Fair Consumption Space. The fair consumption space, as defined in this (highly recommended) report by the Hot or Cool Institute is an “ecologically healthy perimeter that supports within it an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for individuals and societies to fulfill their needs and achieve well-being”. This space is strongly bounded by the limits of overconsumption and underconsumption and clearly shows that the overconsumption by one person invades the consumption space of another, and has a negative impact on their prospects.

Approaching sufficiency and creating a fair space for all people to live life better is simpler in day-to-day practice than it is in theory: it goes from reducing the size of our living spaces and reducing air travel, to shifting to plant-based diets and reducing household food waste.  

Ultimately, we must be always open to changing the way we #think about sustainability, as the picture grows more complex to include different points of view surrounding production and consumption. I am lucky enough to continuously see my views being challenged by new knowledge and new voices, and this is what allows me to #act differently in the way I consume, and hopefully, be able to #inspire my closest ones else to do the same.  

Written with Silvia Cesa-Bianchi

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