Scientists' warning on affluence.
- Wiedmann T Sustainability Assessment Program, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. t.wiedmann@unsw.edu.au.
- Lenzen M ISA, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Keyßer LT Institute for Environmental Decisions, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Steinberger JK Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- 2020-06-21
Published in:
- Nature communications. - 2020
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy
General Chemistry
English
For over half a century, worldwide growth in affluence has continuously increased resource use and pollutant emissions far more rapidly than these have been reduced through better technology. The affluent citizens of the world are responsible for most environmental impacts and are central to any future prospect of retreating to safer environmental conditions. We summarise the evidence and present possible solution approaches. Any transition towards sustainability can only be effective if far-reaching lifestyle changes complement technological advancements. However, existing societies, economies and cultures incite consumption expansion and the structural imperative for growth in competitive market economies inhibits necessary societal change.
- Language
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- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-16941-y
- PMID 32561753
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/188695
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