I certainly support their relevance, but I think I can add most to this meeting by focusing on how business is putting sustainability into practice. By this I mean how industry is achieving more for less - which is my working definition of sustainabilitv. Lastly I will touch on the important question of how we should conduct the debate, to involve others in the search for the best solutions. At the heart of the phrase 'sustainable consumption' lies a key question. Since I think few would be able to provide an absolute definition of 'sustainable', we are often without precise goals, and are working for improvements as technology and the market permit.
Businesses exist to meet customers' demands for products or services.
To prosper, they must be flexible and innovative, and behave in a way which is acceptable to their various stakeholders. But particularly we must understand and respect the choices of our consumers. Industry leaders will develop new products and ways to produce old products with less impact on the environment. But they will fail if the customers do not like them or are unwilling to pay. We must remember that supply cannot take place without demand.