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Developing Policies and Instruments for Sustainable Household Consumption: Irish Experiences and Futures

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Abstract

In recent years, the concept of sustainable consumption (SC) has received increased attention. Overconsumption in industrialized countries still presents major challenges to achieving sustainable development goals despite the global economic crisis. This paper offers an in-depth analysis of national influences on consumption patterns in the Republic of Ireland, focusing in particular on the role of governance in the design of policy instruments for sustainable consumption. It is argued that country-specific political conditions and policy frameworks fundamentally shape everyday household consumption. After an initial discussion of the effectiveness of three key types of policy instruments—legislative, economic, communicative—the paper compares SC policy making and implementation in Ireland with examples of good practice from Europe. An agenda to progress Ireland’s sustainable consumption policy framework is proposed in the concluding part of the paper.

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Notes

  1. http://www.epa.gov/oswer/international/factsheets/pdfs/200810-sustainable-consumption-and-production.pdf (accessed 10th June 2010).

  2. http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/ (accessed 10th June 2010).

  3. http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/ (accessed 8th November 2010).

  4. http://www.eamonryan.ie/2010/04/12/electric-cars-a-reality-for-ireland/ (accessed 8th June 2010).

  5. http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Warmer_Homes_Scheme/ (accessed 10th June 2010).

  6. An Taisce (National Trust for Ireland) is the oldest Irish environmental NGO. It can be compared with the National Trust (UK) and focuses mainly on aspects of natural and built heritage.

  7. http://www.greenschoolsireland.org/index.aspx?Site_ID=1&Item_ID=185 (accessed 30th September 2010).

  8. The ConsEnSus project is beginning to make research inroads in this direction by exploring context-specific factors which impact on consumption patterns in Ireland, both north and south of the border (see www.consensus.ie).

  9. http://www.comharsdc.ie/_files/2009_TowardsGNDIreland_rpt.pdf (accessed 8th June 2010).

  10. http://www.greenparty.ie/en/policies/green_new_deal/green_new_deal (accessed 8th June 2010).

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Acknowledgements

This paper is based on research conducted as part of ‘ConsEnSus: a cross border household analysis of consumption, environment and sustainability in Ireland’ (http://www.consensus.ie), funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) STRIVE Programme 2007-2013. The authors would like to thank the EPA and the Advisory Board of the ConsEnSus project for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Jessica Pape

  2. School of Geography and Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Rm 124, Galway, Ireland

    Jessica Pape

  3. School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI, Galway, Room 323, Áras Moyola, Galway, Ireland

    Henrike Rau

  4. School of Geography and Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Rm 104, University Road, Galway City, Ireland

    Frances Fahy

  5. Department of Geography, Trinity College Dublin, Museum Building, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Anna Davies

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  1. Jessica Pape
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Correspondence to Jessica Pape.

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Pape, J., Rau, H., Fahy, F. et al. Developing Policies and Instruments for Sustainable Household Consumption: Irish Experiences and Futures. J Consum Policy 34, 25–42 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-010-9151-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-010-9151-4

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