From green consumerism towards strong sustainable consumption - Brown Bag Lunch

Sustainable Consumption Brown Bag Lunch Series

From green consumerism towards strong sustainable consumption

By Dr Sylvia Lorek, Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI) > Monday October 23 > UNIMAIL (room M 5220) > 12h15-13h30

Overview. What are the different ways ofdefining sustainable consumption (SC), and how did these interpretations emerge – or fail to be picked up – in the area of SC international governance? This presentation elaborates key themes in relation to SC, drawing from existing literature, distinguishing green consumerism and efficiency, from strong sustainable consumption and sufficiency. A main focus is on the notion of “consumption corridors”, or how upper and lower boundaries on consumption should be taken into account in order to achieve sustainability for all. The talk will consider different paths of transition, from overconsumption to under consumption, bringing together emerging schools of thought in sustainability research as it relates to limits, wellbeing, justice and responsibility.

Biography. Sylvia Lorek holds a Ph.D. in consumer economics and is trained to work on the interlinkages of the individual micro-economic and the societal macroeconomic perspective in which the scientific and societal discourses about sustainable consumption take place. As head of SERI Germany e.V. she is working on studies and as a consultant for national and international organisations. She has a lecturer position at the University of Applied Science in Münster and has held classes at, for example, the University of Helsinki, the Baltic University Program (BUP) and the Asia-Europe Foundation University. Sylvia Lorek is an organising member of SCORAI Europe, the Global Research Forum on Sustainable Consumption and Production (GRF-SCP) and the Society for the European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ERSCP).

Brief report. A renown expert in sustainable consumption research and action, Dr Sylvia Lorek gave an inspiring and vibrant talk around the differences between « green consumerism » and « strong sustainable consumption » to an audience of approximately 35 students and researchers at the University of Geneva. The lecture, co-sponsored by the Institute for Environmental Studies and the Institute of Sociological Research, is a first in a series of « Sustainable Consumption Brown Bag Talks », organized by Assistant Professor Marlyne Sahakian. Dr Lorek made a compelling argument for recognizing that not all forms of resource usage are equal: a priority should be placed on the size of homes and household energy consumption during the building phase; fuel-intensive mobility; and meat and dairy consumption, in terms of resource usage and environmental impacts, and in the European context. Dr Lorek is a founding member of SCORAI Europe, the sustainable consumption research and action network, and is working on several research projects in relation to energy sufficiency.

Professor Marlyne Sahakian, SdS - GEDT