I will if you will – Towards sustainable consumption

The final report of the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable sets out how a significant shift towards more sustainable lifestyles is possible and positive. People are willing to change, but they need to see others acting around them to feel their efforts are worthwhile.

Government and business must take radical action to help people tackle climate change and environmental problems, and get damaging products out of the shops.

According to the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable, consumers need to be able to buy green products and services as second nature. It's time to start a new British love affair with sustainable fish and chips, to offer air travellers automatic carbon offset from their flights, and to make schools and hospitals carbon neutral. To see real improvements, the deadlock must be broken.

Government and business are currently waiting on consumers to choose more 'green' products and services. Consumers are ready & willing to act on climate change and the environment, but can't see the point, because they feel their efforts would be isolated and in vain.

"The Government has got to stop relying on information leaflets and hoping for the best - and start working with businesses and NGOs to get practical measures into people's lives." - Alan Knight, co-chair of the Roundtable According to the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable

Britain already boasts a select range of sustainability success stories, which are down to a positive lead from business and government. These include: sustainable wood products, fair trade coffee, dolphin-friendly tuna, energy-efficient fridge freezers, washing machines and dishwashers. To make these work across the economy, Government and business must get radical solutions into consumers' lives. Instead of waiting on consumers to make decisions on complicated environmental problems, Government and business must do it for them.

The report specifies that Government should:

* Unite with business to get the most damaging products out of the shops, and replace them with environmental products, e.g. - TV and set-top boxes which use massively less power when on standby - Affordable hybrid cars - Alternative fish species to Britain's much-loved, but hugely over-fished, cod

* Give consumers up-to-date energy information, so they can manage their energy use, by getting smart meters into every home by 2012

* Take the lead and make all schools and hospitals carbon-neutral by 2015

* Automatically give travellers the option to carbon offset their flights, to demonstrate the environmental impact of flying

* Develop a working economic model to track the links between national income, consumption growth and resources, by 2008