This brief was produced by the German Institute for Development Evaluation, and examines the German public's activities related to sustainable consumption and their perception of those activities with regards to global challenges.
Key findings:
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The majority of the general public is aware that their own consumption behaviour has an impact on living conditions in the Global South.
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Although the majority of the population already consumes sustainably at least in part, there is potential to further increase sustainable consumption.
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People are likely to consume more sustainably if they have a sense of being able to make a difference with their actions (what is known as self-efficacy). However, citizens assess their self-efficacy as low.
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The general public believes that policy-makers and the private sector have an obligation to promote sustainable consumption by establishing suitable conditions.