The global voice for consumers

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The global voice for consumers
La voix des Consommateurs à travers le monde
La voz global para la defensa de los consumidores
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Consumers and Climate Change

• Bjarne Pedersen
• Director of Operations, Consumers International
• 2009

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About Consumers International

• Global federation of consumer organisation
• Independent and not-for-profit
• 220 member organisations in 115 countries
• Campaign, capacity build and raise awareness
  through and for our members

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Consumers and Climate Change

• Consumer organizations and CI have a key and
  unique role to play in this global effort to
  reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• We believe it is essential that governments and
  the business sector everywhere commit to
  implementing policies that guide us onto a
  sustainable course

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Consumers and Climate Change

• Initiatives to mobilize consumer concern about
  global warming into more sustainable consumption
  choices have increased globally over the past few
  years
• Businesses, governments and civil society
  organisations are all involved in the development
  of consumer education campaigns, new products,
  labelling and certification initiatives.

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What Assures Consumers ?

• Climate Change is a main consumer issue
• The majority of consumers have already made some
  easy, close-to-home changes
• There are not many who are completely unwilling
  to embrace a more climate conscious lifestyle.

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WAC

• Consumers want more information from businesses
  about how they are addressing the climate impacts
  of their products
• But consumers does not trust information from
  businesses on climate change
• Consumers say they want more independent
  assurance of product information.

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Solutions

• Focus on what matters
• Food
• Transport
• Housing

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Food and Climate Change

• It is not that difficult. but we might not like
  the message
• DO tell consumers what matters.
• Eat less meat
• Eat more vegetables
• Eat more vegetables in season
• Think about personal transport
• Keep development in mind
• Keep product composition in mind.

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Food and Climate Change

• DO NOT
• Put all the responsibility on the consumer
• Confuse consumers with pointless self-declared
  claims/labels
• Add to the obesity of (poor) information
• Disguise climate change message as protectionism.

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Mixed and misleading messages

• John Chidsey, the CEO of Burger King, believes
  that Climate Change is "an overriding issue of
  importance for the global community, business
  community and people in general", as he stated in
  a interview conducted at this year's World
  Economic Forum (http//www.youtube.com/watch?vb14
  ypPZ4NyE)

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40 Burger Kings in Tennessee, Arkansas and
Mississippi
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Conclusion

• Setting an example and enabling action
• Develop and consolidate rigorous and fair
  standards
• Reducing unhelpful choice
• Creating sector-wide solutions
• Helping consumers make cuts that count.

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• Bjarne Pedersen
• Director of Operations, Consumers International
• www.consumersinternational.org