Globalization has made consumers powerful actors
in our world economy. Our daily choices as consumers affect the lives of
workers in distant places and the way people live. Sustainable consumption
means buying goods and services that do not harm the environment, society, and
the economy. Although it is predominantly an issue for high-income and emerging
economies, consumption is an excellent entry point for teaching about
sustainable development. Consumer education is practical, touching the daily
lives of people near and far away. Local consumer action can have a global,
social, economic, and environmental impact, both today and tomorrow. Education
therefore has an important role to play for consumers, in terms of: -learning
to know about the products we buy; encourage curiosity about how and where
goods are produced as well as what the working conditions are in the country of
origin? How far are goods shipped to reach the supermarket shelves? What is the
environmental footprint of the production and transport of certain products?
-using knowledge about the impact of our economic choices in order to change
our behaviour and consumption habits. However, knowledge is not enough. ESD is
a transformative learning process and aims to change the way people interact
with the world.
