Implementation of the national programme for sustainable consumption

In order to achieve successful policies for climate protection and resource efficiency, the active participation of companies, civil society actors, and citizens is needed, along with strong political will. Everyday routines, such as daily consumption, determine whether climate action and resource efficiency can become common sense in business and society. Sustainable consumption is a task for society as a whole. It presents multiple challenges and opportunities, and is gaining in importance in environmental policy.

The Federal Government has created prerequisites for politically strengthening sustainable consumption in Germany: The National Programme for Sustainable Consumption identifies and defines objectives, principles of action, fields of action, and implementation strategies in order to systematically expand and promote sustainable consumption in its various facets. The programme is one element encouraging structural change towards economic and societal sustainability in Germany. It intends to address society as a whole, and provides multiple possibilities for public participation.

This is where the work of adelphi and the consortium began. The project supported the implementation of the National Programme for Sustainable Consumption and the founding of a complementary Competence Centre. To this end, a web-based national action and information platform was created as a central information medium. It provides access to the interested public on relevant background information on the national programme, as well as updates on progress of the implementation process and its results. In addition, a network has been set up via a range of events and dialogue formats. This promoted a broad social acceptance of sustainable consumption, the emergence of new initiatives, and the exchange of experience. Finally, adelphi worked to enable the strategic development of individual programme elements within an update of the national programme.