SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

The aim of SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

A core principle of this Goal is that supply chains must be more sustainable. This is an area of expertise that the Grantham Centre specialises in, particularly through the work of Dr Richard Bruce.

We also have expertise in life cycle analysis, which is vital to assess sustainability claims of products.

Our work on SDG 12

What is life cycle analysis? Have you heard of life cycle analysis (also called life cycle assessment or LCA)? The chances are you haven’t, but it’s vital for a sustainable future. Without it we can be taken in by greenwashing. In order to find out more about life cycle analysis we spoke to LCA expert Dr Rukayya Ibrahim Muazu.

Our team wrote a groundbreaking paper on the environmental impact of a loaf of bread from seed to supermarket shelf.

Plastics projects and SDG 12

Our special plastics projects Many Happy Returns aims to make reuse more mainstream. Specialising in food packaging reuse systems, the team brings together experts from across disciplines.

This project has already won an award for its groundbreaking multidisciplinary paper around ruse.

Grantham Scholars

A number of Grantham Scholars work towards SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.

For instance, Meletios Bimpizas is exploring supply chains in order to see if the European economy can transition to a circular agri-food economy. Also, Kaisa Pietilå is examining the link between the global economic crisis and environmental crisis. And George Coiley is researching the debates about sustainable diets and the legitimate scope of political action.

To find out more about our research and how it connects to the Sustainable Development Goals, visit our Research page.

Or if you want to find out more about Grantham Scholar projects and news by SDG, look below.