1 / 16

Chapter 15

Chapter 15. The Impact of Consumer Choices. Learning Outcomes. Upon completion of this chapter you should be able to: Consider the role of the consumer in the marketplace and the wider economy Examine the impact of consumer behaviour on others – locally, nationally and globally

brook
Télécharger la présentation

Chapter 15

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 15

  2. The Impact of Consumer Choices

  3. Learning Outcomes • Upon completion of this chapter you should be able to: • Consider the role of the consumer in the marketplace and the wider economy • Examine the impact of consumer behaviour on others – locally, nationally and globally • Explore the ways in which consumer choices can influence the provision of goods and services and how consumer power can change the lives of other people • Outline the concept of sustainability • Explain what it means to be an ethical consumer • Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from consumption of goods and services • Evaluate how you can contribute to sustainable development.

  4. Some BIG Questions • What type of consumer are you? Are you informed? Ethical? Green? • What influences your decision to buy a product? • Do you consider the materials and resources used to produce a product? • Do you think about the people involved in making and delivering the product? • Do you recycle products when you are finished with them?

  5. Consumer Choices • Consider the impact of your consumer choices at local, national and international level • Consumers have the power: • to create demand for goods and services • to influence the type of goods and services that are produced as well as the way these goods and services are produced

  6. Resources • All goods and services require the use of different types of resources: • Natural resources: oil, gas, coal, water, agricultural land, etc. • Human resources: workers and the labour they provide • Capital resources: buildings, vehicles, machinery, equipment, etc. • Financial resources: money • The goods and services you consume will have an impact on the use of these resources.Your spending habits can have consequences for people throughout the world. • Activity • Can you think of any examples of how your spending habits affect others?

  7. Non-Renewable Resources • Non-renewable resources are limited in supply. • They cannot be replaced in the short term. • Examples include fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas • We are using these up at a faster rate than they can be replaced, so they will eventually run out. • Activity • Go to http://worldometers.info and research how many years are left until oil is depleted (if we continue pumping oil at the present rate). • How would running out of oil affect your daily life? • What alternative sources of fuel could be used when oil runs out?

  8. Renewable Resources • Renewable resources are not limited in supply. • They won’t run out or they can be regrown, reused or recycled. • Examples include wind energy, solar energy, trees and soil • Activity • Can any of these resources be overused?

  9. Sustainable Consumption • If used too quickly, even renewable resources can be overused to the point of extinction. • Resources must therefore be used sustainably. • Sustainability is the process of balancing the social, economic and environmental systems that are in constant interaction for the well-being of individuals now and in the future. • The core pillars of sustainability are social (people), environmental (planet) and economic (profit). • Sustainable use means using resources in a way that meets current needs but also preserves the resources for future generations.

  10. Sustainability • Sustainability involves carefully managing a resource to give it time to renew itself. • The fishing industry issues licences and sets limits on the amount of fish that can be caught each year. • Activity • Can you think of any other resources that need to be managed? • It is important to think about our buying habits as our choices can affect the lives of others. • Sustainable consumption means buying goods and services that do not harm society, the environment or the economy.

  11. The Ethical Consumer • Ethical consumers choose goods and services that meet their needs and reflect their moral values (the ability to judge right from wrong). • Not everyone shares the same values. • The values we develop depend on our culture and our financial circumstances. • Scarce resources force us to make choices about consumption. • To be an ethical consumer we need to become an informed consumer so we can understand the issues involved and make choices taking into account our: • Needs • Values • Financial circumstances

  12. Considerations for Ethical Consumers • Ethical goods are produced in a way that is kind to the environment and to the people who produce them. • Ethical consumers buy products and services that have been produced under ethical conditions. They: • make careful choices about the goods and services they buy • take responsibility for their buying decisions • avoid goods and services that have a negative impact on society, animals and the environment. • Several businesses including Nike, Gap, Adidas, Primark and Marks & Spencer have been known to exploit resources and workers used to produce their goods. • Consumers were encouraged to ‘boycott’ these businesses. • As a result, businesses are more aware of the need to behave ethically.

  13. The Impact of Ethical Consumerism • Increased emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR) • Increased focus on ‘green consumerism’ • Awareness of our carbon footprint • United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) • Production of fair labour-certified garments • Promotion of animal welfare • Sustainable resources and technologies • Reduce, reuse, recycle

  14. What Can You Do? • Engage in life-cycle thinking and consider: • Energy usage • Working conditions • Waste production • Pollution effects • Destruction of endangered ecosystems. • Ask questions, e.g. • Where is the product made? • What is it made of? • How much energy does it consume? • How are the workers who made this treated? • Support sustainable businesses • Reduce, reuse and recycle • Consider end of life disposal • Shop locally where possible

  15. Review and Recap • Can you do the following? • Consider the role of the consumer in the marketplace and the wider economy • Examine the impact of consumer behaviour on others - locally, nationally and globally • Explore the ways in which consumer choices can influence the provision of goods and services and how consumer power can change the lives of other people • Outline the concept of sustainability • Explain what it means to be an ethical consumer • Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from consumption of goods and services • Evaluate how you can contribute to sustainable development

More Related