Some reflections on the link between production and consumption for sustainable development

This paper addresses sustainable consumption as a way of contributing to the implementation of sustainable development. In order to introduce our reflections, the paper deals first with microeconomic consumer theory. The main aspects of neoclassical consumer theory are briefly outlined, and some recent theoretical reflections are introduced to better understand consumption patterns, In the second part of the paper, two propositions stress that production and consumption both have environmental impacts and, therefore, can both contribute to improve the state of the environment the Ehrlich-formula on the one hand, and the distinction between eco-efficiency and sufficiency on the other. We then discuss some possible improvements of the economic functioning that take into account the role of both the producer and the consumer. Information is proposed as the main transmission mean between the two economic actors.

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