Sustainable consumption is one of the world's biggest challenges. Consumption is complex affecting people's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. People need to consume to survive yet many today live in poverty in appalling conditions with limited access to food, clean water, housing, healthcare and education. While underconsumption is a critical problem for low-income consumers, overconsumption is increasingly becoming problematic for middle to high-income consumers whose excessive consumption not only damages the environment but can also lead to physical, mental and financial distress (Sheth, Sethia and Srinivas, 2011). Both underconsumption and overconsumption are not sustainable and lead to serious detrimental consequences for the environment, for individual consumers and for society.
Research Integration & Problem Solution
Each member brings their individual research to work as a group in developing an innovative solution.
1 Summarise the sustainable and unsustainable consumption practices.
o Who engages in these behaviours? How are they performed? When? Where? Why?
2 Present a critical analysis of the key consumer behaviour influences.
o What are the personal, interpersonal and cultural factors? What are the relevant theories?
3 Propose an innovative solution
o What exactly is on offer? Product? Price? Place? Promotion? Why will it work?