A society that can still afford a lot, even in times of crisis, is looking for optimal ecological and social balance. Careful purchasing choices are increasingly replacing the quick purchasing impulse. Everything revolves around better quality of life, for themselves and for others. The number of consumers choosing sustainable products is increasing. In 2018, 36% of Dutch people consciously chose ‘green’ products, even though they were cheaper. We want to consume more and more without feeling guilty. So much for the good news. We are also becoming more critical and no longer blindly accept every claim of ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’. In 2018, 43% of compatriots surveyed had doubts about this. But despite this critical note, the number of consumers embracing sustainability is increasing.
Quality of life, what should we mean by it?
Quality of life is often equated with enjoying life, but it also means maintaining the necessary sources of life. And also let others participate in a ,good life,.
Politics must create the right conditions for a sustainable lifestyle
Those who are looking for quality of life and want to consume sustainably at the same time will find countless options:
- for example, everyone can influence this with their own purchasing decisions;
- and whether it concerns the question of whether or not the animals on the farm are allowed to graze in the meadow, or whether or not we should manage our forests sustainably, we can participate in decision-making on all such issues through politics.
We have the choice. And responsibility, at least insofar as politicians create the right preconditions for this and really give citizens something to choose from. Because if people speak out in favor of the option with the lowest costs, this is often due to a too tight budget or inadequate information.
Sustainable consumption has a future
Many citizens are already on the ,sustainable, tour. We can observe positive examples of this every day: from local shopping to cooperative initiatives at neighborhood level for the use of sustainable energy.
Such trends often start on a small scale. But if they forget about success, they quickly move on. And new lifestyles are especially successful if it is possible to combine frugality with gain: gain from the point of view of social justice, enjoyment of life and quality of life.
Man must be able to live in such a way that natural resources are preserved for our children and all our fellow human beings, wherever they are in the world.
The earth is finite
The search for an ecologically and socially responsible lifestyle in combination with a holistic approach is the starting point of numerous green political parties in Europe. Green politics actually has two important sides:
- one is rooted in the realization that our planet cannot be burdened indefinitely.
- the other emphasizes the social effects of our lifestyle.
Globalization and sustainability
The current discussion about the consequences of globalization has given the sustainability issue a new dynamic:
- almost 6.5 billion people currently inhabit the earth, and only 1.7 billion of them represent the so-called consumer society, characterized by a lavish lifestyle;
- at the same time, more than 850 million people are going hungry, even though in principle there should still be enough for all of us.
But water, raw materials, healthy food and fertile land are becoming increasingly scarce. Climate change is reaching ominous proportions. The world is currently experiencing a devastating loss of biodiversity, the result of human economic activity. As early as the mid-1980s, humans were consuming more resources in one year than the Earth could renew in the same period.
Sustainable consumption and production
Proposals for a different way of life have been on the table for years. As early as 1992, the international community declared its willingness in Rio de Janeiro to implement a comprehensive action program for sustainable development.
The goal is a lifestyle that combines social justice with environmental responsibility without puritanical grumpiness. As consumers, we can characteristically change the current consumer culture with our shopping basket alone.
Sustainable entrepreneurship
And producers also have alternatives. Manufacturers of daily consumer goods, for example, can focus much more on organic and environmentally friendly processing, on energy and material efficiency and on fair trade. They will have to because more and more consumers expect that from them.