The Challenge

'It's a good deal’. But is it, really? Behind the savings, discounts and deals we must be mindful of the real cost of our goods and services. From fast-fashion pollution to unused household items and food waste, the impact of what we choose to buy and how can be profound. 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, how we consume has shifted: in early 2020 alone, the growth of e-commerce was more prominent than in the past decade. On the flipside, consumers' expectations of brands to deliver on their sustainability promises is at an all-time high; yet, trust in brands to deliver on these claims is at an all-time low.

The way we produce, consume and dispose of goods and services has a huge impact on our ability to avoid climate catastrophe, tackle structural inequality, and enable transformational shifts in our economic system.

Yet focus to date has been on the impact of resource extraction and production – when shifting consumption models and patterns are equally critical. 

What can we do to reimagine consumption? 

Forum’s Reimagining Consumption programme is bringing together wide-ranging stakeholders to transform consumption and to develop action plans with game-changing potential. 

Alongside leading brands and retailers — 3M US, Burberry, Changing Markets Foundation, Ecover, Eastman, Ekaterra Tea, Estee Lauder, Farfetch, Google, Hubbub, IKEA, M&S, Mondelez, Pollination Group, Seventh Generation, Sustainable Brands, Target, The Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association, Unilever, Visa and Zalando — we have identified and tested six ‘Big Hows’ – areas where action is needed to co-create systemic impact:

• Creating a new vision of the future where consumption is challenged 
• Shifting narratives around sustainable consumption, especially in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and more equitable consumption
• Developing and connecting initiatives to support a coherent approach to shifting the current economic model
• Shaping a coherent and consistent ask of regulators to shift the rules of the game
• Exploring ways to finance and scale up new business models
• Inspiring action by discussing big ideas and capturing best practices that make it easy for consumers to drop unsustainable behaviours

Reimagine, rewire and reshape consumption with us

This programme focuses on three central questions: 

1. A Regenerative Future: How does consumption need to change and become a foundational part of a regenerative economy in 2035?

We will create a new vision of the future where consumption is challenged and reimagined in a way that supports building a regenerative economy.

2. New Narratives: How can we use the collective power of all organisations coming together to raise the bar and bring to life a narrative that brings attention to new economic models? 

We will test and develop new narratives for consumption, especially in the context of the cost of living crisis, recession, and tackling inequity.

3. Inspiration: How can we learn from business models, build on them, and test new ways of consuming? 

We will curate case studies and conversations with key opinion leaders and develop a practical framework for brands to apply regenerative economy principles.

Why not join us on this journey? To get involved, contact Rodrigo Bautista at [email protected].