Rethinking Development: People Centred Approach to Sustainable Consumption

Dr. Rashmi Tripathi

The question of economic and social development has been a constant theme of international debate since the 1950s. But, over these years the objective of universal well-being remains unfulfilled. In some respects it seems further away than ever. But despite many mistakes and failed initiatives in the past, we can see just as many signs of hope and some clear paths to a brighter future. We need to rethink development, building upon what has worked and rigorously rejecting failed approaches. One lesson we have learned is that people must be at the centre of development-not only in the traditional sense that people are the engine of change, but also in the less-traditional sense of development that puts people first. People are the critical factor in development: firstly in terms of their numbers and the social, health, economic and environmental consequences of their actions; and secondly in terms of the decisions they make concerning the size of their families and the way they live their lives. People-centred development also means full community participation at both decision-making and implementation levels. A second lesson is that development must be sustainable and environmentally sound. If economic development destroys the earth's natural resource base in the process, it is self-defeating. The other aspect of sustainable development is population growth; the numbers of people must be in balance with the resources to sustain them, or the whole system will collapse. This paper is a systematic effort towards assessing the sustainable consumption initiatives specifically recycling programs, energy efficient living, and organic food systems in terms of what they represent, what they may lead to, where they came from, and whether they are or can be successful. The paper concludes with some reflections on how sustainable consumption initiatives can be made more effective using people centric approach.