Sustainable Consumption in the United Kingdom: The “Responsible” Consumer and Government at “Arm’s Length”

Abstract

The project of “sustainable consumption” encompasses broader concerns about how individual well-being and quality of life have been superceded by the quest for sustained economic growth. In 1999, the current UK Labour government revised their sustainable development approach, conceptually placing “people at the centre” and arguing for holistic strategies, thereby suggesting some redress of the above concerns. In light of this conceptual shift, this article inquires about the current state of sustainable consumption policy and practice in the United Kingdom. Focusing on the ideological foundations underpinning Labour’s approach to sustainable consumption, it highlights how the individual “rational” consumer is ascribed with responsibility for creating sustainable consumption patterns. In this environment, Labour chooses to practice sustainability at “arm’s length,” doing little to challenge the profligate resource consumption that typifies the United Kingdom today.