Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
The word “Akatu”
Good Seed
for a
Better World
=
Good Individual
for a
Better Collective
2009  Instituto Akatu
A = seed / world (+) katu = good / better
InstitutoAKATU
Akatu pelo
consumo consciente
INSTITUTO
for conscious
consumption
Mobilize people to use
the transforming power
of their conscious consumption acts
as an instrument
to build
the sustainability of life on the planet
2009  Instituto Akatu
Mission of Akatu
InstitutoAKATU
Akatu pelo
consumo consciente
INSTITUTO
for conscious
consumption
Consuming with consciousness of the
impacts of the act of consumption on
oneself,
on social relations,
on nature and
on the economy,
seeking
to mobilize the best possible impacts
and to engage others in the same direction
2009  Instituto Akatu
Conscious Consumption
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Sustainable Consumption and
Production (SCP)
1. respond to basic needs
2. bring a better quality of life
and
3. from production up to discarding, minimize
• the use of natural resources and toxic materials
• and the emissions of waste and pollutants
so as not to jeopardize the needs of this generation
and future ones
2009  Instituto Akatu
Production and use of products and services which
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
The “C” in SCP means
1. helps the consumption by the poorest
2. respects the limits of the natural resource
base
and
3. ensures equitable access to the natural
resources by the whole of humanity
2009  Instituto Akatu
a process of buying, using and discarding
products of services in a way which
Why sustainable
consumption?
2009  Instituto Akatu
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
16% of humanity is
responsible for 78% of
total consumption
Today, total consumption in the world
demands 50% more than
the planet is able to renew
2009  Instituto Akatu
Use of natural resources
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
UnSustainability
in the use of Natural Resources
1.50
Nº de Planetas
1.0
1.2
0.8
0.6
1961-2010
0.9
1.0
0.7
0.5
0.4
0.2
0
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
Use of Natural Resources
1985
1990
1995
2000 2005
Biocapacity of Earth
Source: Living Planet Report Vivo 2010 – World Wild Foundation
2009  Instituto Akatu
1.4
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
2009  Instituto Akatu
With present technology,
the consumption of the whole humanity at a level
equivalent to that of the average per capita
consumption between Europe and USA, would
demand more than four planets Earth...
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
since it would be necessary
to use almost 7 times (!!!)
less natural resources to make products
and services for the whole humanity
2009  Instituto Akatu
Technology change, by itself, would
not be sufficient for sustainability
in natural resources,
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Sustainability equation =
+ Technology Change
+ Public Policies
2009  Instituto Akatu
Conscious Consumption
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
5 reasons why the focus on the “C”
of SCP has been insufficient
2. Technology change is easier for companies
since is does not require changes in consumer
behavior and life style
3. Rio + 10 (Johannesburg) stressed the
importance of change in consumption behavior
4. But, multilateral negotiations led the media to
focus on caps for emissions (climate change)
5. Life style and consumer behavior are more
difficult to change and time demanding since
they are part of the culture of societies
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1. Rio 92 concentrated on clean production
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
11 Barriers for the “C” of SCP
1. Advertising provokes the “desire” to consume
3. It is difficult for consumers to define their real
“needs”
4. The profit logic for companies is based on
excessive consumption
5. Emerging countries and new segments of
consumers are coming to the market and saying
“it is our turn to consume”
2009  Instituto Akatu
2. The consumption society defines identity
strongly based on consumption
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
And more barriers for the “C” of
sustainable consumption
Consumers don’t recognize the relationship
between consumption and the problems in
society and the environment
7.
Consumers think of individual companies
producing products and services and not
supply chains
8.
Consumers don’t think that the consumption
of one individual can have a significant impact
on society and the environment
2009  Instituto Akatu
6.
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
And even more barriers for the “C” of
sustainable consumption
Consumers don’t recognize themselves as
multipliers of their model of consumption and
mobilizers of change in other people
10.
Consumers don’t recognize sustainability
as a step by step process - companies and
products can only be “more” sustainable: look
towards the future not the past
11.
Consumers think of sustainability as a
sacrifice in order to consume less
2009  Instituto Akatu
9.
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
1.
Consumers are not happy with a “work-toomuch-to-consume-too-much” type of life
2009  Instituto Akatu
6 good news:
conscious consumption is becoming
desirable to consumers
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
2009  Instituto Akatu
Live to consume?
Or consume to live?
Somos livres? – Maurício Chiminazzo
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
2009  Instituto Akatu
Where am I running to?
Somos livres? – Maurício Chiminazzo
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
More good news:
conscious consumption is becoming
desirable to consumers
Consumers start to realize that products
become obsolete the moment they are bought
3.
Consumers start to realize that to base their
identities on consumption and brands is very
fragile
2009  Instituto Akatu
2.
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Heaven is in
what
one can buy
Saturday Evening
Post
August, 1959
Image provided by Fátima Milnitzky
2009  Instituto Akatu
1950
dream of
consumers:
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Marketing and
credit make
the dream come
true
American Express
Card 1990’s
Image provided by Fátima Milnitzky
2009  Instituto Akatu
1980/90
Heaven came
to Earth:
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
21st Century:
emotions
more
than
products
Master Card
2003
2009  Instituto Akatu
There are things money can’t buy
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
And more good news:
conscious consumption is becoming
desirable to consumers
Consumers start to realize that happiness
and consumption do not walk together
2009  Instituto Akatu
4.
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Income per capita and happiness – United
States of America
260
240
200
2009
Akatu
2007 
 Instituto
Instituto Akatu
180
160
140
120
100
80
1946
1956
1965
Income per capita – full line
1972
1976
1983
Subjective well being - - - - dotted line
1987
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Income per capita and Happiness – Japan
700
600
500
2009
Akatu
2007 
 Instituto
Instituto Akatu
400
300
200
100
0
1958
1963
1968
Income per capita – full line
1973
1978
1983
Subjective well being - - - - dotted line
1988
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
And even more good news:
conscious consumption is becoming
desirable to consumers
Journalists are part of the “work-too-much-toconsume-too-much-society” and are also
getting tired of it
6.
Indebtedness related to consumption is
becoming a nightmare for consumers
2009  Instituto Akatu
5.
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
2009  Instituto Akatu
Next step: dream?
Or nightmare?
Photo: Gilbert Garcin, L’ambitieux
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
1.
To raise the awareness of consumers about
the positive transforming power of
consumption
2009  Instituto Akatu
13 leverage points
for consumer organizations to
contribute towards conscious
consumption
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
2009  Instituto Akatu
The tremendous impact
of the individual acts of consumption
Source: Wee Man Organization, 2005
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
4 more leverage points towards
conscious consumption
2.
3.
To value companies that educate consumers
towards conscious consumption and offer
more sustainable products
4.
To work with governments to establish public
policies conducive to conscious consumption
2009  Instituto Akatu
To establish communities of conscious
consumers: social recognition
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
And 4 more leverage points towards
conscious consumption
To engage the media and opinion leaders in
reinforcing a new model of consumption:
leading by example
6.
To educate children and youth for conscious
consumption
7.
To educate consumers on a new paradigm in
their relationship to companies and products
8.
To depict a compelling and desirable vision of
a sustainable future, based on a different (not
less) consumption and on more freedom
2009  Instituto Akatu
5.
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
From disposable to durable
From global to local
From individual to shared use
From fossil to renewable
From trash to reutilization and recycling
From toxic to non toxic
From material to virtual
2009  Instituto Akatu
Consume differently
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
From waste to integral use
From tangible to intangible
From excess to moderation
From consumption as an end in itself to
consumption as an instrument for well being
From “live to consume” to “consume to live”
From “live to work” to “work to live”
From “happiness in consumption” to “happiness in
human relations: friendship, love, emotions, and art”
From a consumption society
to a society where life is plenty of meaning
2009  Instituto Akatu
A different society
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
1 more leverage point towards
conscious consumption
9.
2009  Instituto Akatu
To educate consumers about products being
a result of supply chains
2009
Akatu
2007 
 Instituto
Instituto Akatu
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Deforestation of the Amazon
2009
Akatu
2007 
 Instituto
Instituto Akatu
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Deforestation of the Amazon
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Deforestation of Amazon
Amazon Forest
2009
Akatu
2007 
 Instituto
Instituto Akatu
Pasture
Soy
bean
oil
Agriculture
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
And 4 last leverage leverage points
towards conscious consumption
10. To establish communities of conscious
11.
To value companies that educate
consumers to conscious consumption and
offer more sustainable products
12.
To work with governments to establish
public policies conducive to conscious
consumption
13.
To show consumers that there are also
financial benefits in conscious consumption
2009  Instituto Akatu
consumers: social belonging and recognition
(digital social networks)
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Saving US$ 1.00 a day since the day
you are born up to 65 years of age:
US$ 334 million
20%
15%
10%
US$ 26 million
6%
US$ 2 million
3%
US$ 283,600
US$ 73,600
R$ 1,00 0
20
40
Years
Fonte: Adapted by Akatu from “Seu Dinheiro”, by Mauro Halfeld
60
66
2009  Instituto Akatu
Yearly interest
rate
Instituto Akatu pelo consumo consciente
Helio Mattar
helio.mattar@akatu.org.br
2009  Instituto Akatu
Thank you !