Business Interests Shape SDG 12 Towards Incremental, Not Transformative, Sustainable Production

Why It Matters

Understanding how global sustainability goals are formulated is crucial for designers and engineers. It highlights that the 'solutions' prioritized may not always align with radical, systemic change, impacting the types of innovations and design interventions that gain traction and funding.

Key Finding

The research found that the global goals for sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12) were shaped by business interests, leading to a focus on incremental improvements and technological fixes rather than fundamental changes in how we consume and produce.

Key Findings

• Business interests have steered the narrative of SDG 12 towards sustainable growth, favoring a production- and design-centered perspective.
• The resulting targets and indicators reflect a regulatory approach and reliance on technological solutions, rather than more radical, transformative changes.
• While SDG 12's existence is a step forward, many targets were diluted and indicators narrowed the scope, not fully capturing earlier, more ambitious conceptualizations of Sustainable Consumption and Production.

Research Evidence

Aim: To analyze how business interests influenced the formulation of SDG 12, its targets, and indicators, and to assess whether this framing supports transformative sustainable consumption and production.

Method: Qualitative analysis of negotiation processes and document review.

Procedure: The study examined the debates and contributions of various stakeholders (national governments, UN agencies, civil society, private sector) during the formulation of SDG 12, analyzing how their interests shaped the final targets and indicators.

Context: Global policy and sustainable development goal setting.

Design Principle

Advocate for and design for transformative change in consumption and production systems, rather than solely focusing on incremental efficiency gains.

How to Apply

When proposing design interventions for sustainability, critically evaluate whether they contribute to systemic transformation or merely optimize existing unsustainable models.

Limitations

The study focuses on the formulation process and may not fully capture the ongoing implementation and potential for future evolution of SDG 12.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: The way global goals for sustainability are written can be influenced by businesses, leading to goals that are easier for them to meet through technology and regulation, rather than requiring big, fundamental changes in how we make and use things.

Why This Matters: This research helps you understand that the context and goals you are designing for might be influenced by factors beyond pure environmental or social benefit, which can affect the scope and impact of your design project.

Critical Thinking: To what extent do current design challenges and solutions for sustainability reflect genuine transformative potential versus incremental adjustments driven by established economic interests?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The formulation of global sustainability goals, such as SDG 12, can be significantly influenced by the interests of various stakeholders, including the private sector. This research indicates that such influences can lead to a prioritization of production-centric, technologically driven, and regulatory approaches over more transformative shifts in consumption and production patterns. Therefore, when developing design solutions for sustainability, it is crucial to critically assess the underlying frameworks and advocate for approaches that address systemic issues rather than solely focusing on incremental improvements.

Project Tips

• When researching sustainability, look at who is involved in setting the rules and goals and what their interests might be.
• Consider if your design project addresses the 'why' behind unsustainable practices, not just the 'how' to make things slightly better.

How to Use in IA

• Use this research to justify why your design project aims for a more transformative solution, even if current standards are less ambitious.
• Critically analyze the sustainability goals or frameworks relevant to your design project, considering potential biases or influences.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of the broader socio-political context influencing design challenges and goals.
• Critically evaluate the limitations of existing sustainability frameworks and propose design solutions that address these shortcomings.

Independent Variable: Influence of business interests and stakeholder negotiations.

Dependent Variable: Framing of SDG 12 targets and indicators (production-centric, regulatory, technological focus).

Controlled Variables: ["The specific context of UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 formulation.","The period of negotiation for SDG 12."]

Strengths

• Provides a critical perspective on the formulation of global sustainability goals.
• Highlights the role of power dynamics and interests in shaping policy and targets.

Critical Questions

• How can designers and researchers actively counter the influence of narrow interests in shaping sustainability agendas?
• What are the implications for design innovation when the focus shifts from transformative to incremental sustainability?

Extended Essay Application

• Investigate the formulation of another sustainability-related standard or policy and analyze the influence of different stakeholder groups.
• Design a product or system that explicitly aims for transformative change in consumption or production, and justify its approach in contrast to existing, less ambitious frameworks.

Source

The Framing of Sustainable Consumption and Production in <scp>SDG</scp> 12 · Global Policy · 2019 · 10.1111/1758-5899.12592