Sustainability Strategies

The Efficiency Strategy: This is the most widespread sustainability strategy today. Efficiency is understood here to mean switching to products and processes that can be described as more sustainable than their predecessors as a result of technical progress. More fuel-efficient vehicles or the reduction of energy and material consumption in the manufacture and use of products are examples. The limits of this strategy lie in the danger of the so-called »rebound effect«. This occurs when an increase in efficiency leads to a price reduction, for example, which causes customers to consume more of the product or service. As a result, the actually lower environmental consumption is cancelled out or even increases.

The Consistency Strategy: This is actually two strategies. One aims to change or replace processes, such as air-drying laundry as often as possible instead of using a tumble dryer. The other consistency strategy means circular economy for materials and energy. The use of waste heat in industry is an approximation of this strategy. For fully functioning circular economy, however, not only technical adjustments are necessary, but also comprehensive organizational and strategic changes in the design, production, trade and return of products

The Sufficiency Strategy: It is not uncommon for sufficient procedures to be misunderstood as a limitation, since it is about changing our habits. The concept of sufficiency offers great potential for improving the quality of life. It's about conscious action. Decisions for e.g. B. regional and seasonal products and productions. Avoiding food waste and eating less meat. Fix things instead of replacing them with new ones. The use of mobility offers as a form of community use also reduces emissions, saves money and often time. Less can be more! In addition to the necessary reduction in environmental pollution, experts see a great increase in social satisfaction and the opportunity for a healthier lifestyle – important factors for the future viability of social systems.

Editing and design: LEISE Design on behalf of Koelnmesse GmbH