169
© The Author(s) 2015
G. Sonnemann, M. Margni (eds.), Life Cycle Management,
LCA Compendium – The Complete World of Life Cycle Assessment,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-7221-1_13
Chapter 13
From Sustainable Production
to Sustainable Consumption
Marc-Andree Wolf and Kirana Chomkhamsri
Abstract The objective of this chapter is to explain which secondary environmental
consequences (often called rebound effects) life cycle assessment (LCA) and life
cycle management (LCM) of products need to consider in addition to the conventional product LCA, and which roles different actors in society have in the context
of environmentally sustainable consumption. The key issue is that any consumption
decision affects the consumer’s household resources of available income, time, and
space (volume, area), what leads to additional or reduced overall consumption,
within the limits of further consumption constraints and cross-category effects.
Exactly how any additional resources are used by the consumer strongly affects the
overall consumption. Moreover, this chapter considers the consumption on person,
on national and global level, with some focus on sustainable lifestyles, and concludes with recommendations on next steps towards better measurement and management of the environmental secondary consequences of consumption.
Keywords Consumption constraints • Life cycle assessment • Life cycle management • Rebound effects • Secondary consequences of consumption • Sustainability
• Sustainable production • Sustainable consumption
1 Introduction
Sustainable consumption has been defined already very early in explicit relation to
the life cycle perspective: “The use of services and related products which respond
to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural
M.-A. Wolf (*)
maki Consulting GmbH, Sepp-Zehentner-Str. 33, 83071 Stephanskirchen, Germany
e-mail: Marc-Andree.Wolf@maki-consulting.com
K. Chomkhamsri
P.P.P. Intertrader,
109/202 M. 9 Leaungmung-Pakkred Rd., Bangpood T., Pakkred A., Nonthaburi 11120,
Thailand
© The Author(s) 2015
G. Sonnemann, M. Margni (eds.), Life Cycle Management,
LCA Compendium – The Complete World of Life Cycle Assessment,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-7221-1_13
Chapter 13
From Sustainable Production
to Sustainable Consumption
Marc-Andree Wolf and Kirana Chomkhamsri
Abstract The objective of this chapter is to explain which secondary environmental
consequences (often called rebound effects) life cycle assessment (LCA) and life
cycle management (LCM) of products need to consider in addition to the conventional product LCA, and which roles different actors in society have in the context
of environmentally sustainable consumption. The key issue is that any consumption
decision affects the consumer’s household resources of available income, time, and
space (volume, area), what leads to additional or reduced overall consumption,
within the limits of further consumption constraints and cross-category effects.
Exactly how any additional resources are used by the consumer strongly affects the
overall consumption. Moreover, this chapter considers the consumption on person,
on national and global level, with some focus on sustainable lifestyles, and concludes with recommendations on next steps towards better measurement and management of the environmental secondary consequences of consumption.
Keywords Consumption constraints • Life cycle assessment • Life cycle management • Rebound effects • Secondary consequences of consumption • Sustainability
• Sustainable production • Sustainable consumption
1 Introduction
Sustainable consumption has been defined already very early in explicit relation to
the life cycle perspective: “The use of services and related products which respond
to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural
M.-A. Wolf (*)
maki Consulting GmbH, Sepp-Zehentner-Str. 33, 83071 Stephanskirchen, Germany
e-mail: Marc-Andree.Wolf@maki-consulting.com
K. Chomkhamsri
P.P.P. Intertrader,
109/202 M. 9 Leaungmung-Pakkred Rd., Bangpood T., Pakkred A., Nonthaburi 11120,
Thailand