Cities help curb overconsumption
Cities can play a decisive role in curbing overconsumption by making sustainable choices easy for their residents. Everyday essentials—eating, housing, and mobility—shape the ecological footprint, and cities can guide these choices toward green growth.
Purjehtimista ja suppailua Vesijärvellä sekä spontaania ympäristötaidetta rannalla. Kuvaaja: Lassi Häkkinen / Lahden kaupunki
Finland, a country that excels in nearly all indices measuring human development, is facing a critical challenge: its ecological footprint. This measure, which quantifies our consumption of renewable resources and use of fossil fuels, is a stark reminder of our overconsumption. When our consumption surpasses the planet’s capacity to regenerate resources and process greenhouse gas emissions, we are in a state of overconsumption. This year, Finland’s overshoot day, the day when our consumption exceeds the Earth’s capacity, falls on April 6, a sobering fact that demands our immediate attention.
The ecological footprint is not just a measure of our overconsumption; it’s a call to action. It’s a call for green growth, a transformative concept that aims to push our overshoot day further into the year. Green growth is not just an inspiring slogan; it’s a tangible goal that we can strive towards. It envisions a future where economic and environmental progress are no longer at odds, offering hope in the face of global ecological threats such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion.
What if green growth fails?
If green growth fails to deliver on its promises, we face two grim alternatives: the Titanic orchestra or mutiny on the ship. As the Titanic sank, its orchestra played “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” There was nothing else left to do. If green growth fails, we will either be left fighting for lifeboats or resigning ourselves, like the musicians, to quiet acceptance before disaster.
Many environmental activists do not believe in green growth. They see it as too slow and ineffective in reducing the ecological footprint. A large number of sustainability researchers agree. They argue that high-income countries must completely abandon the idea of economic growth.
Their policy demands are so radical that they resemble a rebellion against the prevailing economic system and way of life: eliminating private cars, air travel, fast fashion, weapons, cruises, and luxury homes. Industrial meat and dairy production would be phased out. Income and wealth disparities would be reduced, and consumption would be limited by setting a maximum income cap. Such drastic measures to curb overconsumption would likely be impossible through democratic means.
Cities make sustainable choices easy or difficult
Cities play a crucial role in avoiding these extreme scenarios. Green growth is not as technical or abstract a phenomenon as public discussions may suggest. The complexity of economic concepts—import and export statistics, employment rates, stock prices, and debt ratios—obscures that almost all economic activity revolves around basic human needs: eating, housing, and mobility.
People’s everyday choices shape the ecological footprint. However, these choices are not made in a vacuum. The urban environment dictates how easy or difficult it is for residents to make sustainable choices. Are plant-based meals available in daycare centres, schools, and nursing homes? Are environmentally friendly heating options accessible for housing? Can families give up their cars for commuting, school, or recreational activities? Positive answers to these questions create demand, which green growth relies on.
Production is the other side of green growth. For cities, this means deciding what industries and jobs they support. Almost all Finnish cities struggle with unemployment, and competition for new private-sector jobs is fierce. Industries can be broadly categorized into three groups based on their environmental impact: some improve the environment, some are neutral, and some are harmful. An essential value-based decision for cities is determining how sustainable their economic choices are. To curb overconsumption, cities should boldly identify harmful industries and prioritize those that benefit the environment.
Attitudes and values drive green growth
Municipal environmental policies also influence green growth on an attitudinal level. Green growth requires changes in people’s lifestyles, but these changes will not happen if citizens are unwilling to embrace them. Green growth demands long-term policies that require faith and patience, with investments that may take decades to yield results. Both lifestyle choices and policies are rooted in values. Ultimately, the question is: how much do residents value environmental well-being?
A lasting love for nature and the outdoors is often formed through childhood experiences. Cities’ investments in green spaces, outdoor and recreational opportunities, and nature experiences are crucial for children and young people. Personally, my skiing trips with my grandfather in Tiirismaa and family boating trips on Lake Vesijärvi left a lasting impression. These experiences inspire me to take care of the environment for my children and grandchildren.
