SDG Goal 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 focuses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. This goal aims to reduce the environmental impact of consumption and production by encouraging the efficient use of resources, minimizing waste, and promoting sustainable practices across industries, businesses, and individuals. With the global population continuing to grow and consumption rates rising, it is essential to shift towards more responsible consumption and production patterns to preserve the planet’s resources and promote long-term sustainability. In order to maintain the standard of living for both present and future generations, Goal 12 focuses on making sure that patterns of production and consumption are sustainable. Despite the depletion of our planet’s resources, population growth is ongoing. Nearly three planets’ worth of natural resources will be needed to support present lifestyles if the world’s population hits 9.8 billion by 2050.
Changing our energy sources to more sustainable ones is one of the most important adjustments we need to make if we want to lower our consumption levels. However, the comeback of fossil fuel subsidies due to global crises roughly doubled between 2020 and 2021.
Industries are undergoing encouraging changes, such as the growing trend of sustainability reporting, which has nearly tripled the volume of published sustainability in a short period of time. This indicates a greater level of dedication and understanding that sustainability ought to be at the center of corporate operations.  Food loss must be addressed immediately and calls for data-driven policy, as well as investments in infrastructure, technology, education, and monitoring. Food waste is another indicator of overconsumption. Even though a significant portion of the world’s population goes hungry, an astounding 931 million tons of food are wasted annually.

Why is it necessary for us to alter our consumption habits?

Over the past century, social and economic advancement has been accompanied by environmental deterioration that is putting the very systems that are essential to our existence and future growth in jeopardy. Enhancing resource efficiency, taking into account the full life cycle of economic activity, and actively participating in multilateral environmental agreements are all necessary for a successful transition.

What must be altered?

Numerous facets of consumption can significantly affect society at large with minor adjustments. Governments must enact and uphold laws and rules that include things like establishing goals for cutting waste production, encouraging the circular economy, and assisting with sustainable procurement practices. Creating long-lasting, repairable, and recyclable items is a key component of the shift to a circular economy. In order to reduce waste and resource depletion, it also entails encouraging behaviors like product reuse, refurbishing, and recycling. People can also choose to live more sustainable lifestyles, which might include cutting back on consumption, selecting goods with less of an impact on the environment, and lowering the carbon footprint of daily activities.

As a business, how can I assist?

Finding innovative solutions that support sustainable patterns of production and consumption is in the best interests of businesses. It is necessary to get a deeper comprehension of the effects that goods and services have on the environment and society, as well as how product life cycles and lifestyle consumption impact these. In addition to lowering impacts and enhancing well-being, innovation and design solutions can encourage and facilitate people to live more sustainably.

As a audience , how can I assist?

There are two primary methods to assist:
Cutting back on waste and Considering your purchases carefully and, if at all possible, selecting sustainable options.
Avoid throwing away food and limit your use of plastic, which is one of the primary sources of ocean pollution. You can make a difference every day by recycling plastic bottles, using reusable bags, and avoiding plastic straws. Making wise purchasing is also beneficial. You can influence companies to implement sustainable practices and make a difference by purchasing locally and sustainably.

Goal 12 targets

• High-income nations have ten times the material footprint per person compared to low-income nations. The global endeavor to cut food losses and waste per person in half by 2030 is likewise far from on track.
• Fossil fuel subsidies saw a return due to global problems, nearly doubling between 2020 and 2021. Public procurement regulations and corporate sustainability have seen a rise in reporting, whereas sustainable consumption and sustainable tourism monitoring have seen a decline.
• In order to speed up preparations for the Sustainable Development Goals and recover from the epidemic, responsible production and consumption must be essential. Policies that encourage a change to sustainable practices and disentangle economic growth from resource usage must be put into place.