Introduction and Theoretical Framework

Consumption is a key lever to achieving more sustainable development. Unsustainable consumption is a major cause of global environmental deterioration, including overexploitation of renewable resources and pollution caused by fossil fuels. The European Environmental Agency report “Household Consumption and the Environment” (EEA, 2005) identifies the need areas of food, housing, personal travel and mobility as well as tourism as the four major areas of household consumption with the highest negative environmental impacts.