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SUMMARY:The contradictions of sustainable consumption under climate change
  - Prof. Edwin Zaccai\, Director of the Centre of Studies on Sustainable D
 evelopment\, in the Institute for Environmental Management and Land Planni
 ng (IGEAT) at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
DTSTART:20100203T160000Z
DTEND:20100203T170000Z
UID:TALK23274@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr A. Zabala
DESCRIPTION:In the broad context of sustainable development\, and more spe
 cifically\, in order to contribute to mitigate climate change\, individual
 s are increasingly invited to make specific choices as consumers. Sustaina
 ble consumption\, promoted by numerous discourses and devices originating 
 both within the private and public sector\, has become a political objecti
 ve. This talk will explore obstacles and contradictions this orientation e
 ncounters\, leading to overall relatively poor results obtained so far wit
 hin the ecological impacts of Northern societies. In this perspective we w
 ill analyze both the macro and micro levels. At the macro level\, there ar
 e conflicts between consumerist economic drivers and relatively vague obje
 ctives toward limiting the impacts of consumer goods. At the micro level d
 ifficulties arise from "locked-in" situations of consumers within their da
 ily practice\, as well as from the theoretical limits of a rational choice
  model incorporating citizen values. Perspectives will be drawn in conclus
 ion\, with propositions in order to incorporate more fully the consumer si
 de of changing production and consumption patterns within a climate policy
 .
LOCATION:Mill Lane Lecture Rooms\, Room 1
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