Bar soap vs. liquid soap: a case for sustainable consumption? – CGIAR

Sustainable Consumption and the Global Footprint: A Report on CBD COP16 Side Event

Introduction

By Kristen Tam

In Latin America, a bar of organic, three-ingredient, “sustainably made” soap can be bought for around eight euros—a premium price partly due to international shipping. In contrast, for 40 cents, a consumer can purchase a bottle of liquid soap with 30 ingredients from a nearby convenience store. So, which is the more sustainable option? This example illustrates the complexities of sustainable consumption and highlights factors to consider in the quest to reduce the global consumption footprint equitably. These themes were central at the side event “Momentum for Target 16: Enhancing Collective Action to Reduce the Global Footprint of Consumption Equitably” on 28 November 2024 at CBD COP16.

The Role of Consumption in Biodiversity Loss

“Over-consumption and efficiency degrowth are absent from nearly every biodiversity and climate conversation,” remarked Matthew Bell, Sustainability Leader of EY Global Climate Change. He emphasized that reducing biodiversity loss fundamentally requires a reduction in consumption. Many economies prioritize GDP growth, often driven by consumption, which leads to overuse of resources. This overconsumption places additional stress on ecosystems, which are increasingly overfished, over-farmed, and deforested. Reducing consumption can lessen the extraction of resources, thereby helping protect biodiversity. According to Bell, addressing consumption involves collective action from consumers, producers, and governing bodies.

Diversify Diets to Boost Biodiversity

“Consumers have the power to choose what we eat,” said Gina Kennedy, Principal Scientist at the Alliance Bioversity & CIAT. “The problem is, our plates and farms are not diverse. There are 30,000 plant species available for food, but we heavily rely on just 12 in our daily diets.” Such limited dietary diversity promotes monoculture farming, which weakens resilience to diseases and climate change. By encouraging more diverse diets, we can enhance biodiversity. This change requires a multi-sectoral approach involving chefs, farmers, nutritionists, and even celebrities.

Kennedy’s work has focused on fostering excitement around diverse foods through initiatives like the Pacific Island Food Revolution cooking competition, co-hosted by celebrity chef Robert Oliver. Such initiatives aim to increase public awareness and engagement with more diverse foods. Recently, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) affirmed that a healthy diet depends on dietary diversity, underscoring the need to expand our food choices.

Sustainability Shouldn’t Be a Luxury

While consumers can choose what they buy and use, financial, cultural, and local accessibility constraints often limit these choices. “The consumer may want to buy diverse foods, or, going back to the soap example, an organic, plastic-free soap bar,” noted Camila Cosse Braslavsky, Sustainable Consumption Specialist at Consumers International, “but it could be 20 times the cost of a plastic liquid soap bottle from the supermarket.”

The hope is for all products on store shelves to be sustainably produced and affordable. Requiring detailed ingredient labelling and disclosure of environmental and health impacts could help shift responsibility toward producers. Labelling standards that highlight elements like sugars and fats can push companies toward transparency, empowering consumers to make informed choices. This awareness may gradually reduce demand for highly synthetic, low-cost products, encouraging a market shift toward natural, longer-lasting products across industries, from food and personal care to clothing.

Monitoring and Accountability

“We need to decrease our global footprint equitably,” emphasized Jonathan Green, Senior Researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute. He advocates for the adoption of consumption-based metrics in trade agreements and food security discussions. While labelling increases product awareness, it still requires consumers to afford more sustainable choices. Consumption-based reporting, required at national and global levels, could hold over-consuming nations accountable. Monitoring consumption trends over time could provide insight into whether global consumption is increasing or decreasing.

The Role of Global Policies and Commitments

Global policies such as Target 16 within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) offer a path toward more equitable consumption. The CGIAR Environmental Health & Biodiversity (EH&B) Platform aims to bring greater attention to the role of consumption in addressing biodiversity loss. This article highlights essential strategies, and at COP16, there is a strong push for global treaties and country commitments to the KMGBF to achieve Target 16.

Conclusion

The path to sustainable consumption is complex, requiring actions across all levels of society. However, by working collectively to address consumption habits, we can move closer to an equitable and sustainable future.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The article discusses the complexities of sustainable consumption and the need to reduce the global consumption footprint equitably. It highlights the overconsumption of resources driven by GDP growth and emphasizes the importance of reducing consumption to protect biodiversity. This aligns with SDG 12, which aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

SDG 15: Life on Land

The article emphasizes the need to reduce biodiversity loss and protect ecosystems that are increasingly overfished, over-farmed, and deforested due to overconsumption. This aligns with SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt biodiversity loss.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The article discusses the importance of diversifying diets to enhance biodiversity and promote resilience to diseases and climate change. It highlights the need to expand food choices and increase dietary diversity. This aligns with SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The article mentions the need to shift towards natural, longer-lasting products across industries, from food and personal care to clothing. It emphasizes the importance of improving resource efficiency in consumption and production to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. This aligns with SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

The article emphasizes the need to reduce consumption and overuse of resources to protect biodiversity. This aligns with Target 12.2 under SDG 12, which aims to achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

The article highlights the importance of reducing biodiversity loss and protecting ecosystems from overfishing, overfarming, and deforestation. This aligns with Target 15.5 under SDG 15, which aims to take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect threatened species.

Target 2.5: By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals, and their related wild species

The article discusses the need to diversify diets and promote resilience to diseases and climate change through increased dietary diversity. This aligns with Target 2.5 under SDG 2, which aims to maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals, and their related wild species.

Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production

The article emphasizes the importance of improving resource efficiency in consumption and production to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. This aligns with Target 8.4 under SDG 8, which aims to improve progressively global resource efficiency in consumption and production.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention any indicators. However, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

Indicator 12.2.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

This indicator measures the amount of material resources used in consumption and production. It can be used to assess progress towards Target 12.2 under SDG 12, which aims to achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index

This indicator measures the changes in the extinction risk of species over time. It can be used to assess progress towards Target 15.5 under SDG 15, which aims to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt biodiversity loss, and protect threatened species.

Indicator 2.5.1: Number of plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium or long-term conservation facilities

This indicator measures the number of plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in conservation facilities. It can be used to assess progress towards Target 2.5 under SDG 2, which aims to maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals, and their related wild species.

Indicator 8.4.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

This indicator measures the amount of material resources used in consumption and production. It can be used to assess progress towards Target 8.4 under SDG 8, which aims to improve global resource efficiency in consumption and production.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cgiar.org