Production, Consumption and Waste

In this section, the Victorian economy is represented as an integrated system, with inputs of energy, water and materials, and outputs of goods and services, pollution and waste. The section explores the level of resource consumption overall and the environmental efficiency of Victoria, specifically through the lens of the energy, water and materials systems.

Analysis of overall resource use shows that current consumption patterns are unsustainable and, if left unchecked, will lead to an increasingly degraded environment. This is because current patterns of production and consumption have resulted from a narrow historical focus of exploiting resources for human needs and to maximise economic utility, rather than enabling sustainable consumption pattens which enhance rather than further degrade the natural environment. In order to promote more sustainable patterns, we need to improve our understanding of current patterns, and decrease their environmental intensity. If increasing the efficiency of our energy, water and materials systems is not sufficient to reduce absolute pressures on the environment, then reducing overall consumption may be necessary.

Tackling the impacts of resource use requires an examination of the key human activities driving natural resource consumption and waste generation in Victoria. This Part covers current and proposed ways of measuring consumption, Victoria’s current Ecological Footprint, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) on Sustainable Production and Consumption including available guidance, tools and an analysis of current barriers to success. It concludes with a message on the importance of using multiple solutions including market-oriented solutions, new governance frameworks, changing consumer behaviour as well as supporting current technological innovation and big investment projects.

Part 3 - Production, Consumption & Waste Introduction (PDF - 524 KB)