Before I start, I wish to state that although my title might seem somewhat defeatist, this article does not argue against Sustainable Consumption, but against the idea that somehow sustainable and ethical consumerism is enough to solve all the world's woes. When we think of sustainable consumption images of Fairtrade packets (the yummy chocolates) and organic labels we find in the supermarkets come immediately to mind. However, like the image above states: Ethical [sustainable] consumerism is still consumerism. So, what is it that really needs to change?

As I was reading the OECD's report on Promoting Sustainable Consumption, it dawned on me that, whilst promoting sustainable consumption is good, we are taking away from a larger issue of tackling the real offenders to environmental and social decline--i.e. the main large scale economic drivers. I believe that individuals should contribute, but by asking the individual consumer to take on the responsibility of fixing the world's environmental and social issues is unrealistic and very much problematic. Individual actions, WILL have an affect on small bodies--i.e. local neighbourhoods and local-level government bodies in the best case scenario--but have not yet been proven to make its mark on larger social issues. It is our hope that individual actions which influence local bodies, can then act as a catalyst for discussions on a wider forum.