By Dr. Alaa Ibrahim Mahmoud Al-Husseini
Sustainable or neutral consumption refers to adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle. It does not necessarily mean reducing consumption, but rather consuming differently and more efficiently to enhance the quality of life. It focuses on fostering economic activities geared towards the sustainable use of scarce resources to meet the ever-increasing demand for goods and services.
Thus, improvements must be made in how and how much individuals, societies, states, and the world at large consume to reap social, economic, and humanitarian benefits. Using products and resources that meet basic needs in an environmentally just and neutral manner is a goal worth pursuing. This aligns with efforts to improve the quality of life and relates directly to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, specifically Goal 12 concerning sustainable development.
This goal emphasizes ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns to achieve environmental neutrality, which is essential for securing better livelihoods for present and future generations. It is a well-established fact that the global population is steadily increasing, while certain resources are dwindling due to excessive consumption and other adverse factors, such as global warming. Many societies today exhibit a heavily consumption-oriented lifestyle, which exacerbates the problem.
The core issue is not only excessive consumption but also the neglect of limited resources, exposing them to inevitable harm. Resource investment, especially in energy, poses another challenge for experts. Instead of channeling these resources into boosting agricultural and industrial production to meet rising demands, they are often exploited as weapons in international conflicts. This misuse burdens even the producing countries, leading to price volatility and global issues that hinder stability, development, and long-term strategic planning. Consequently, the reckless exploitation of fossil fuels continues to inflict severe environmental damage.
Food waste and excessive consumption of goods and services, even without genuine need, reflect a lack of justice and equal opportunity among nations. Therefore, the world urgently needs to adopt consumption rationalization measures. For instance, the need for personal transportation can be met with small electric vehicles consuming minimal energy or biofuels. However, some individuals and nations prefer large vehicles that consume disproportionately more fuel and emit higher levels of carbon dioxide.
Countries like Iraq, for example, could shift towards environmentally friendly public transport systems, which would simultaneously fulfill transportation needs, reduce private vehicle numbers, and avoid causing public inconvenience. Such systems, like subways or dedicated routes away from urban centers, contribute significantly to sustainability.
Therefore, the Iraqi government should adopt more environmentally neutral policies aligned with the sustainable management of vital human resources. Essential steps include:
Expanding Green Spaces: Doubling agricultural and green areas, creating new cities instead of suffocating existing ones by eliminating their green spaces, and reducing all forms of waste that negatively impact human and societal well-being. Simultaneously, efforts in waste management and recycling should be intensified.
Sustainable Production: Designing longer-lasting, environmentally friendly, and recyclable products. Various factors influence production and consumption habits, notably:
Lack of Genuine Will for Change: Daily practices dictate the choices of individuals, families, and governments. While the desire for positive change exists, the necessary tools or genuine will to enact it often do not. Internationally, countries warn against carbon accumulation but continue behaviors that worsen the issue.
Social Habits and Imitation: Daily choices often stem from blind imitation of others without mindful consideration of consequences. Individuals and families, being part of local and global communities, are influenced by surrounding behaviors, especially in the age of instant digital communication and pervasive social media influence.
Technical, Social, and Economic Solutions: Iraq urgently needs to implement comprehensive solutions to foster a more neutral consumption pattern, including:
Efficiency in Resource Use: Promoting clean energy and encouraging less-developed Iraqi provinces to invest in environmental technologies that support sustainability and carbon neutrality.
Reducing Toxic Waste: Minimizing pollution of water, air, and arable land by encouraging recyclable materials and enforcing accountability for land misallocation away from agriculture.
Effective Media Campaigns: Disseminating scientific advice and research findings in accessible formats to influence individual and family purchasing decisions, promoting eco-friendly products, and raising awareness about the dangers of unsustainable consumption.
Revitalizing Iraq’s Economy: While consumption drives Iraq’s economic cycle, the focus should shift from mindless consumption to conscious, sustainable patterns that support development, job creation, and long-term economic stability.
Promoting Responsible Consumption: Instilling social and individual responsibility towards society and future generations by fostering values of justice, ethics, and solidarity in consumption behaviors.
Green Businesses: Transitioning towards eco-friendly industrial projects by encouraging start-ups and investments in the green economy, with a pivotal role for labor unions and national professional organizations in fostering suitable working environments for sustainability.
Tax Policy Reforms: Implementing tax exemptions, especially on customs duties, to promote sustainable consumption and production and facilitate the availability of eco-friendly goods and services.
Urban Transformation: Addressing rural-to-urban migration impacts on production and consumption by supporting modern village projects, aiding farmers, and preventing urban overexpansion driven by consumerist investments.
Economic Transparency: Building Iraq’s national economy on principles of pluralism, non-discriminatory trade openness, and justice to foster green consumption and counter unfair trade practices exacerbated by political disputes.
International Legitimacy: Emphasizing the role of international agreements in advancing planned consumption, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Law of the Sea, particularly concerning marine resource preservation.
National Legislation: Enforcing Iraq’s environmental protection laws, particularly Law No. (27) of 2009, and setting realistic, measurable governmental goals for sustainable consumption. The principle of “polluter pays” must be activated, and environmental impact assessments should be mandatory for both public and private sector projects, with strong incentives for recycling investments.
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