Online-Vortrag: From myths to transformation – Dispelling the stories that keep consumption unsustainable.

Englischsprachiger Vortrag in einem neuen Format: Lunchtime-Talk

Lunchtime Talk

Why does unsustainable consumption persist despite decades of research, policy efforts and public concern? This talk argues that part of the answer lies in the powerful myths that shape how societies understand consumption, responsibility and change. Drawing on the book Myths about Sustainable Consumption: Dispelled, the lecture explores 12 widespread myths, including the beliefs that individual action does not matter, information alone changes behaviour, shopping brings lasting happiness, technology and services will save us, sufficiency means sacrifice, economic growth is necessary, consumers drive sustainability transitions, and strong sustainable consumption policies will never be accepted.  The talk will show how these myths contain fragments of truth but become misleading when they obscure structural barriers, political interests and alternative pathways. It will also reflect on myth-busting as a method: how to identify a myth, trace its origins, examine its consequences and develop evidence-based counterarguments. The final part looks ahead, asking what becomes possible when myths lose their grip, leading to stronger sustainability governance and new stories of living well within planetary boundaries.

Speaker

Oksana Mont is Professor of Sustainable Consumption Governance at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University and a Wallenberg Scholar. Her trans-disciplinary research focuses on sustainable business models, sustainable lifestyles and consumption policy. She co-edited 5 books and authored over 250 publications.

Anmeldung:
Wir bitten um Anmeldung bis drei Tage vor der Veranstaltung über das Webformular auf der Homepage des Studium generale.

Veranstaltungsort:
Online (Zoom)

Aufnahmen: Während dieser Veranstaltung können im Auftrag der Hochschule Foto- oder Filmaufnahmen erstellt und gegebenfalls in Publikationen oder in Online-Medien der Hochschule veröffentlicht werden.