文/多拉·馬里馬 譯/修文喬

掃碼聽讀

我們生活在一個高速運轉的世界，萬物瞬息變化。商品使用周期設計得很短，因而可以很快更替。這一切給能源、水、土地和自然環(huán)境等資源帶來了更大的壓力，而這正是全球變暖的關鍵所在。氣候變化是現(xiàn)代深層次問題“過度消費”的癥狀之一，而“過度消費”要求我們開采更多的自然資源，生產(chǎn)更多的產(chǎn)品，為我們所生活的現(xiàn)代社會提供更多的服務。排放溫室氣體最多的行業(yè)包括交通運輸、能源、工業(yè)生產(chǎn)、服務、建筑和農(nóng)業(yè)。這些污染程度高、對氣候不友好的行業(yè)都是為人類服務的。人類對汽車、飛機、電力、大型辦公室和住宅、電信服務、技術、娛樂和快餐等有需求。這些與消費相關的碳排放的背后推手是日益盛行的消費主義風氣。然而，人們認為碳排放由各行業(yè)所致，卻沒有意識到自己通過消費模式助推了生產(chǎn)活動。如此還會錯失機會去激勵消費者產(chǎn)生對可持續(xù)商品和服務的需求，而要提供這類商品和服務，各行業(yè)必須重新審視自己的生產(chǎn)流程，降低碳排放。

是什么助長了過度消費？

“用完即棄”心態(tài)

2現(xiàn)代社會的特點是過度消費和過度生產(chǎn)，結果產(chǎn)生了大量便于使用的一次性塑料制品。這些塑料制品在生產(chǎn)過程中和廢棄處理時都會釋放溫室氣體和毒素。這個崇尚“用完即棄”的社會不再看重可以永久使用的、既耐用又可修的產(chǎn)品，而更喜歡購買大批量生產(chǎn)的廉價產(chǎn)品。丟棄這類產(chǎn)品后，人們幾乎不關心它們的最終去向。

“微波爐”文化

3“過度消費”是由“想要就能馬上得到”的需求驅動的！在現(xiàn)代社會，消費者不想等待任何東西。微波爐、機械設備、吹風機、烤面包機、手機、電腦等技術的涌現(xiàn)更加劇了這一趨勢，它們讓大家認為一切都應唾手可得。雖然技術提高了生產(chǎn)效率，改進了生產(chǎn)方法，但很多產(chǎn)品是由不易修復的一次性材料制成的，導致大量的塑料和電子廢棄物堆積在垃圾填埋場里，毒素滲入土壤。

為何可持續(xù)消費是應對氣候變化的關鍵？

4根據(jù)聯(lián)合國環(huán)境規(guī)劃署的定義，可持續(xù)消費指人類使用物質(zhì)產(chǎn)品、能源和非物質(zhì)服務時，將對環(huán)境的影響降到最低，從而既能滿足當前的需要，又能滿足后代的需求。這對于實現(xiàn)可持續(xù)發(fā)展至關重要，因此，聯(lián)合國制定了針對可持續(xù)消費和生產(chǎn)的“第12 項目標”。這一目標要求消費者重新審視個人消費模式，并評估他們所消費的一切對環(huán)境有何影響。消費者應根據(jù)所購買的產(chǎn)品和服務使用了多少水、能源、土地和原材料進行消費選擇。舉例來說，這將意味著決定少吃加工食品和紅肉，少開車，少坐飛機，少買衣服、玩具、小物件和其他非必要的商品和服務。

如何實現(xiàn)可持續(xù)消費？

變革行動

5可持續(xù)消費要求消費者采取變革行動，從而從根本上改變商品和服務的生產(chǎn)和消費方式。消費者不能繼續(xù)采取原來的“鄰避”態(tài)度，即將垃圾扔進垃圾箱，任由其被運到遠離他們的地方處理，或許就是散發(fā)著惡臭的非正規(guī)住房區(qū)附近。社會本身有責任尋求新的變革性方式，讓消費者更認真地思考產(chǎn)品用了什么材料，在哪里制造，如何生產(chǎn)、包裝和運輸，以及如何制備、消費和廢棄處理。對產(chǎn)品的生命周期進行分析至關重要。

生產(chǎn)者責任

6生產(chǎn)者負有重大責任，須確保其產(chǎn)品以具有可持續(xù)性的方式生產(chǎn)，且耐用、持久。如今，消費者每天面對大量造價低廉、可輕易獲得的石油化工產(chǎn)品。這些產(chǎn)品無法重新使用，也無法修補或修理，其中很多產(chǎn)品甚至無法回收，也無法改造另作他用。世界各地的垃圾填埋場都堆滿了產(chǎn)品，不斷占用住房和糧食生產(chǎn)所需的有限空地。各行業(yè)必須考慮到產(chǎn)品生命周期的全過程，確保他們的產(chǎn)品最終不會被填埋，而是可以回收重新用于生產(chǎn)。

消費者教育和意識

7消費者教育是確?？沙掷m(xù)消費的重要一環(huán)。生產(chǎn)者有義務公開產(chǎn)品信息，讓消費者能做出負責任的選擇。如今，負責任和有自覺意識的消費者希望了解生產(chǎn)過程、產(chǎn)品來源、所用材料、耕作方式等信息。明確這類信息可以讓消費者做出負責任的選擇，利用他們的購買力影響產(chǎn)品的制造方式。這將使生產(chǎn)者重新思考合乎道德的生產(chǎn)方法，并將這些實踐融入品牌建設。 □

We live in a fast-paced world where things change rapidly, goods are designed to become obsolete so that they will be replaced sooner, thus putting more pressure on resources like energy, water, land and the natural environment. This is at the heart of global warming. Climate change is a symptom of a deeper modern-day problem of overconsumption which demands more mining of natural resources, manufacturing of goods and greater offerings of services to the modern society we live in. The sectors that contribute mostly to greenhouse gas emissions include transport, energy, industrial production, services, construction and agriculture. At the heart of these highly polluting and climate unfriendly sectors lie human beings who demand cars,airplanes, electricity, large offices and homes, telecommunication services,technologies, entertainment, fast food and so on. These consumption-related carbon emissions are fueled by a growing consumerism culture. However, carbon emissions are seen as produced by industries without recognizing the role that people make in driving production through consumer patterns. This also results in a missed opportunity to challenge consumers to demand sustainably produced goods and services that will require industries to relook at their production processes and make them less carbon-intensive.

What fuels overconsumption?

Throw-away mentality

2This modern society is characterized by overconsumption and excessive production resulting in a flood of convenient, disposable, throw-away products made out of plastic that release greenhouse gases and toxins, both during production and when disposed-off.This throw-away society no longer sees value in durable, repairable products that could last forever but prefer to buy mass produced, cheap products that are discarded with little regard for where they end up.

“Microwave” culture

3Overconsumption is driven by the need to “want and get everything right now”! Consumers don’t want to wait for anything in these modern days.This has been exacerbated by a flood of technologies like microwaves, machine machines, hair dryers, toasters, cellular phones, computers and so on that make society believe that everything must be readily available at their fingertips.Even though technology has increased efficiency and production practices have improved, many of these products are made out of disposable material that is not easily repaired, resulting in heaps of plastic and electronic-waste filling up landfills and toxins leaching into the soil.

Why is sustainable consumption key to fighting climate change?

4The United Nations Environment defines sustainable consumption as the use of material products, energy and immaterial services in such a way that it minimizes the impact on the environment, so that human needs can be met not only in the present but also for future generations. This is crucial in order for sustainable development to be achieved and as a result, the United Nations has Goal Number 12 that deals with sustainable consumption and production. This goal requires consumers to rethink their individual consumption patterns and assess the environmental impact of everything that they are consuming. Consumers should be making consumption choices based on how much water, energy, land and raw materials the products and services they are acquiring have used. This will mean, for instance, deciding to eat less processed food and red meat, driving and flying less, buying less clothes,toys, gadgets and other unnecessary goods and services.

What is required for sustainable consumption to be achieved?

Transformational action

5Sustainable consumption requires transformational action on the part of the consumer that will result in a fundamental change in the way that goods and services are produced and consumed. Consumers cannot continue with the usual “not-in-my-backyard1“鄰避”是not in my back yard 的縮寫NIMBY 的居民或當?shù)貦C構因擔心建設項目對身體健康、環(huán)影響，而采取集體反對甚至抗爭的行為和態(tài)度?！盿ttitude where their waste is thrown into the bin to be disposed-off in a place far away from them and perhaps close to informal housing areas emitting a foul smell. It is incumbent upon society itself to look for new and transformative ways in which consumers think more carefully about the materials that are used to make products, where these products were made, how they were made, packaged, transported; how they are prepared, how they are consumed and disposed of. The life-cycle analysis of products is a very key issue.

Producer responsibility

6Producers have a huge responsibility to ensure that their products are sustainably produced, durable and long lasting. Nowadays, consumers are bombarded by a flood of cheaply produced and available products, made out of petroleum-based materials that cannot be reused, repaired or fixed. Many of these products cannot even be recycled or upcycled for other uses. Landfills around the world are overflowing with products that continue to use up the limited vacant land needed for housing and food production. Industries must consider cradle-to-grave practices where their products do not end up in landfills but can be reclaimed back into their production processes.

Consumer education and awareness

7Consumer education is critical to ensure sustainable consumption. Producers should be obliged to make information about their products public so that the consumers can make responsible choices. Nowadays, responsible and conscious consumers want to know about production processes, origins of the products, materials used, farming practices and so on. Having this information enables the consumer to make responsible choices and enable them to use their buying power to influence the way products are made. This would make producers rethink their ethical production practices and introduce these practices into their branding. ■