“Sustainability initiatives are important forces for change”

Interview: Gaby Allheilig

Many people are worried about the state of the environment but still not willing to change their consumption habits. How do we achieve the necessary reduction in resource consumption?

In the search for a way out of the overconsumption that we see in rich countries like Switzerland, the main responsibility is often pushed to consumers. Attempts are made to get people to become more sustainable consumers, be it through information and awareness campaigns or appeals to save energy. This often ignores the fact that most sustainable alternatives remain more expensive and require greater effort to implement. In addition, many people underestimate the contribution they can make through their consumption choices, and instead look to others to take responsibility.

That’s why the policy framework needs to be changed so as to make it easier for people to live in a more environmentally friendly way. The more sustainable option in any consumption decision should become the easiest, most obvious, and most attractive choice.

Does that mean tightening legislation, creating more incentives, focusing on new technologies?

All these efforts are necessary, but insufficient on their own. Changing legislation and tightening emission limits requires broad societal acceptance. This is usually difficult to achieve if the new regulations limit personal consumption. Technological advances alone won’t enable us to attain a sustainable level in production and consumption either. That’s because the way we produce and consume permeates and shapes nearly all areas of life, the economy, and policymaking. That’s why we need to develop all of these areas together and in a coordinated way, steering them towards sustainability and initiating a societal transformation. Consumer-oriented sustainability initiatives are an important driving force here.

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“Social change comes about by experimenting with new ideas”

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How can that work?

Such a process is complex for sure. But in research we often take a multilevel perspective, which provides a helpful way of thinking here. According to this, social change comes about by experimenting with new ideas. That’s exactly what’s happening in niches with so-called social innovations, which are not primarily technical, but rather try out new forms of economic activity – be it based on sustainable products, services, or business models, or on new types of collaboration. This sector is developing at an incredible rate. In the last few years, at least in urban areas, lots of attractive alternatives to current consumption options have emerged, such as repair cafés, zero-waste shops, energy cooperatives, bicycle rental systems, and swapping and sharing initiatives.

You said it yourself: These are niches. They’re unlikely to curb our excessive consumption.

This is just the first phase. During this phase, creative ideas pop up and committed people work on innovating and developing something, but they often act in isolation. If they manage to move beyond the start-up phase, they stand a good chance of finding followers and expanding. In this second phase, over time, informal networks develop. Or umbrella organizations are established, enabling sharing of experiences and providing some degree of coordination. In a third phase, an innovation becomes so strong that it can compete with the prevailing consumption option. And then, ideally, phase four occurs, in which the ideas and approaches of such movements become the new normal.

Are there any concrete examples of this?

Take zero-waste shops, for example. We can assume that this movement has helped raise social awareness of the plastic problem. This has not only prompted major Swiss retailers such as Migros or Coop to offer goods with less packaging, but it has also paved the way for social acceptance of an EU-wide ban on plastic. Another example is the right to repair, which the EU Parliament adopted in April 2024. This is partly a response to the repair café movement and similar initiatives. They’ve succeeded in influencing the policy level.

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“In any case, failing and trying again is better than doing nothing”

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But many such initiatives don’t last.

It’s true that some approaches or models haven’t been successful. But even if something doesn't work, it’s an important experience that others can learn from. In any case, failing and trying again is better than doing nothing. But it’s also true that such initiatives quickly face major challenges and obstacles.

In the research project on which the book is based, you and your team analysed many such initiatives. What are the biggest hurdles they have to overcome?

Four major challenges emerged from our discussions with initiators and supporters: securing enough financial and non-financial resources; selecting a suitable legal form; internal organization and professionalization; and the task of collaboratively changing the policy framework, by means of networks, interest groups, and lobbying. In our book, we take an in-depth look at these issues and showcase good and helpful practical examples.

Why is it one of the tasks of these initiatives to change the policy framework?

Sustainability initiatives break new ground. Their economic activities are not centred around profit, but on providing a solution to a societal problem. At the same time, they have to ensure their own economic survival. The current policy framework – with its classical model of start-up funding, for example – is often inadequately tailored to such new ideas. This complicates implementation. In Switzerland, for example, it raises the question as to whether we need a new legal form geared specifically to combining economic and social purposes, the way social enterprises typically do.

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“It’s important to make this experience accessible, so that new initiatives don’t have to start from scratch”

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But do civil society initiatives even have the capacity to work towards such changes?

Indeed, alongside their daily business, people often lack the time or knowledge to engage in broader efforts towards a suitable policy framework – including, for example, appropriate authorization procedures, rent concessions, or joint platforms for sharing experiences. The “après” chamber of social and solidarity economy in Geneva shows a possible path forward: It fosters collective ecological and socially responsible initiatives by providing a “starter kit” for start-ups and offering favourable loan rates for its members, as well as through lobbying and advocacy at the cantonal and regional levels. We need more organizations like this – which raises the question: Shouldn’t the public sector also play a role in this field?

And what’s the aim of your book?

In our view, it’s important to learn from the many existing experiences and to make that knowledge accessible, so that new initiatives and all the people who put their heart and soul into getting such projects off the ground won’t have to start from scratch. In addition, we want to help supporters and funding organizations, such as local authorities or foundations, to better understand the specific needs of sustainability initiatives. By portraying experiences, putting them into context, and publicizing them, we aim to enable a shared social learning process. The knowledge conveyed in the book is not intended as a conclusion, but as a step on the way to a more resource-efficient life.