The consumer: sustainable consumption perspectives

Complexities in the governance of sustainability cannot be overemphasised due to the conflicting priorities of stakeholders. One way to simplify this is to analyse the role each stakeholder plays. This chapter presents the role of one key stakeholder, the consumer, in the governance process. Conscientious leaders of organisations are urged to carefully consider consumers’ voices if they are to achieve their sustainability targets. The chapter provides an exploration of the sustainability and governance concepts and their implications. It evaluates how consumer behaviour impacts sustainability governance. Furthermore, it provides a conceptualisation of the levels of sustainable consumer behaviour and the tensions in the consumer decision-making process. The application of a value-based approach in addressing the tensions is also explored. The chapter concludes by outlining the business implications of the role of consumers in sustainability governance in different contexts and how consumers may be empowered to positively influence sustainability governance.