Expert view: Changing attitudes to consumer buying 

People who want to buy products, like clothes, do not usually ask where they are manufactured, and they have very little information about the impacts their choices can make. The most sustainable cloth, for example, is the one that is never bought.

Cotton may be considered natural – but what about the huge amount of water needed to cultivate cotton, that contributes to water scarcity and the drying out of large areas, such as the Aral Sea. What about artificial fibres, such as polyesters and how they are made? Out of crude oil. 

All of these decisions have impacts on the environment. There are social dimensions too.

Consumers are happy, in principle, to behave in a responsible way, but often they do not follow through in practice. And consumers alone cannot save the planet. You need new robust infrastructure, leadership in government, responsible multinational companies and international action. 

The biggest contribution people can make is to generally consume less. Eat less meat. Buy fewer clothes. Think on all consumption decisions that are made - the question of what is really necessary is really important. If you can keep wearing a pair of shoes, do. 

One argument says that consumption in itself is important, partly as it creates work. But, is it so? Not really. No company goes to Bangladesh to create work. They do it because it is cheap and they make more profit. The working conditions and human rights are often violated. These workers will be the first ones to suffer from climate change due to flooding, hunger and extreme temperatures. 

Energy efficient housing

Energy efficiency is also an important topic. We need to build and buy houses that are energy efficient, use energy from non-fossil sources. We need to use public transport, bikes and walk. 

I personally have three glass windows, and every wall has isolation material of 30 cm (stone wool, no asbestos),I use solar panels to charge my car, which I only use occasionally. I walk upstairs rather than using a lift, I do it for my health.

What else to do? Vote for politicians that make better decisions. Talk within your family, extended family, and communities – whether a village and a city. Read reputable reports and believe in verified science. Behave responsibly and help those that need advice when you can. Get involved and advise others. Ask detailed questions in shops. For example, ask about labour practices or knowledge of the supply chain. Most safety, health and environment rules in force in the EU are not followed in the manufacturing locations in poorer countries.

There is no need to shame and blame yourself 

In more affluent countries, the message is not to stop living reasonably. There is no need to shame and blame yourself. But gradual change is indeed possible and where necessary people should think carefully about their habits. For example, people managed not to fly for nearly two years during Covid. These decisions can apply, and also to other aspects of our life, after the pandemic.

Reliable information is critical. Environmental agencies and research reports of reputable institutions and authors are good sources. Web searches are great but it is difficult to make a difference between good and less good sources. Very few companies publish or share comprehensive data. The more people ask for information, the better.

In many countries it is possible to make sustainable choices. People have the freedom to choose whether they buy "clean" electricity, such as hydropower, wind power, and solar instead of oil- or gas-based. And for appliances, energy certificates exist. 

For some areas, such as gas used in heating homes, consumers can ask contractors or sales agents for information, but as yet sustainable hydrogen-based materials are not likely to be available for another decade.

Set your own priorities

Consumers should set their own priorities, keeping in mind human rights, energy, housing, food production and transport. Universal and lasting peace cannot be achieved without social justice (this is in the International Labor Organization Constitution). 

It is also important to remember that in many parts of the world, not everyone has the ability to read and write. This results in a lack of sharing information, which is vital for passing on the sustainability message. Also, climate change cannot be stopped if a large proportion of workers are living in poverty.