Abstract
The author states that traditional consumer policy, as carried out by the European Union for example, does not meet the requirements of sustainable development. Traditional consumer policy helps the consumer to consume as much as he wishes, whereas sustainability sometimes requires reduction of consumption. The disparity cannot be bridged by attempting to balance out two fundamentally different policies. Sustainability must be acknowledged as the basis, and consumer policy must be reshaped taking environmental needs into account. The author pleads for the employment of a mix of legal, economic, and behavioural scientific means to reach the necessary goals. It is argued that NGOs should play a dominant role in the "greening" of consumer policy.
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Tonner, K. Consumer Protection and Environmental Protection: Contradictions and Suggested Steps Towards Integration. Journal of Consumer Policy 23, 63–78 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006307709249
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006307709249