Consumption patterns for sustainable development

The Centre for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE), in cooperation with the Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Swedish Agency for Growth Policy Analysis, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, the Institute of Research and Development and the World Centre for Sustainable Development (Rio+ Centre), decided to launch in 2014 an international web-based consultation on consumption patterns for sustainable development. The consultation focused on a select group of experts from academia, government, business sector and civil society organizations and aimed to capture essential points of view on the subject. Consumption is usually a less considered area of concern since it entails challenges emerging from the need to change human habits and manners deeply inserted in our cultures and ways of life. Hence, the idea of the consultation is simple and powerful: to advance our knowledge to better understand what can favour or generate obstacles to our common goals in achieving a sustainable society.