The Nature of Sustainable Consumption and How To Achieve It
Results from the Focal Topic “From Knowledge to Action – New Paths towards Sustainable Consumption"

Drawing on a body of research on sustainability and consumption, the book attempts to draw all the theories together and look at the role of need, business investment and consumer behaviour in assessing whether sustainable conssumption can be engendered through societal steering.Part 1 – The synthesis framework 1 A landscape of research around sustainability and consumption 2 Needs and consumption – a conceptual system and its meaning in the context of sustainability 3 Sustainable consumption: how to evaluate sustainability in consumption acts 4 Theoretical perspectives on consumer behaviour – attempt at establishing an order to the theories 5 Societal steering of consumption towards sustainability 6 Using ‘mixed methods’ in sustainable consumption research: approaches, challenges and added value Part 2 – Findings from the project groups A Status of sustainability in investment decisions B Changing everyday consumption patterns C Social embedding of consumer behaviour D Consumers in new roles E Design and efficacy of societal steering