Internationalizing Sustainable Lifestyles for Climate Justice
Mainstream frameworks on sustainable consumption and production fail to holistically capture downstream segments of resource consumption and production systems, especially in relation to lifestyle choices. Building on previous work by TERI, this policy brief seeks to develop composite metrics on consumption for G20 countries and discusses ways to further internationalize sustainable lifestyles. Drawing from the G20 High-Level Principles and Resolution 6/8 of the United Nations Environment Assembly, India can further internationalize Lifestyles for Sustainable Development through the multilateral processes of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations General Assembly. The paper calls for balancing overconsumption and underconsumption to ensure climate justice, emphasizing that India’s global leadership in advocating for these values is essential. It also suggests a roadmap for promoting sustainable lifestyles based on analysis and stakeholder consultation.