Responsible Consumption and SDG 12: A Comparative Policy and Case Study Analysis
Keywords:
SDG 12, Responsible consumption and production, Social policy, Sustainable welfare, Circular economy, Capability approach, Welfare systems, Sustainability transitionsAbstract
The paper repositions Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, as a central social policy concern, extending beyond its dominant treatment as an environmental or economic objective. The study draws on sustainable welfare theory, the capability approach, and international policy frameworks. It uses secondary analysis of global and national reports, supported by illustrative cases from the European Union, Canada, India, and South Korea, to develop a conceptual and policy framework that embeds SDG 12 within welfare systems. The study finds that welfare systems remain locked in a growth-first paradigm, creating a structural disconnect with SDG 12: overconsumption in affluent groups and under-consumption in marginalized groups generate inequities that current systems fail to address. Subsidies and transfers frequently reinforce unsustainable practices, while innovations such as South Korea’s RFID-enabled food waste system and Canada’s integration of Indigenous reconciliation illustrate how ecological responsibility can be embedded into welfare. The analysis highlights a pressing need for a systemic shift toward “responsible welfare systems” that align welfare with ecological sustainability and social justice. The paper advances sustainable welfare scholarship by introducing the concept of “responsible welfare systems,” reframing SDG 12 as a social policy imperative and offering new directions for theory and practice.
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