Economic theories of sustainable consumption

The term ‘sustainable consumption’ denotes the search for consumption patterns that reduce human pressure on the environment and nature. This search involves three levels of research. First, the relationship between consumption, lifestyles and environmental sustainability has to be clarified. A general scheme of relationships will be presented here. Second, a theoretical framework for studying economic behaviour, consisting of five elements, is proposed. Moreover, various theoretical models are discussed in this context. Finally, the policy relevance of specific theories of behaviour for sustainable consumption is considered. This gives rise to both traditional and innovative prescriptions.