The evidence of environmental change and damage is becoming overwhelming. From melting glaciers, to extreme weather events such as flooding and drought, many consumers feel threatened by these developments.
Greenhouse gas emissions vary significantly between countries and provide an indicator of how seriously different countries perceive the problem.
For example, using 1990 as the base year, emissions have doubled in Turkey but halved in the Baltic States. People perceive this as a man-made problem, particularly caused by “big business”.
Eco-consumerism is only partly driven by environmental change. It is also driven by a growing body of people that perceive great social and economic injustices around the world and who believe in the power of individual actions.
For example, many people have changed to a more sustainable lifestyle and scrutinise carefully the purchases they make, ignoring companies that do not meet standards of corporate social responsibility.
Some large companies are trying to gain respect by taking back and recycling their old products. The trend is evident in a move to local sourcing, small-scale enterprises and various aspects of community and cooperative living. There will be big implications for private and public transport, and energy consumption products such as solar and wind power. There will be an increase in people growing their own food, more swapping and sharing, more recycling. Although there has been a fall in sales of organic products during the recession, the long-term trend continues to be upwards.
Consumers buying fair trade products have also been resistant to the recession. Future developments will include more labelling initiatives that embrace a wider range of products, and a more powerful voice for producers as environmental damage affects them.
The political implications of food shortages and other resource shortages will have an increasingly destabilising effect on the world, and in some cases lead to more wars. Eco-consumerism can also be seen as a form of enlightened self-interest.