Consumption enables us to satisfy our diverse basic needs. It plays a fundamental role in our well-being and is a central component of our economic system. Particularly in industrialized countries, however, our level of consumption has ecological consequences far beyond what might be considered sustainable for the planet. In addition, our current form of consumption often comes at the expense of labour and living conditions in producer countries of the global South.
CDE investigates how relations between producers and consumers can be structured more fairly. In addition, our researchers look for innovations that enable environmentally friendly consumption and lifestyles within a low-impact economy.
