ABSTRACT
The ‘business as usual’ approach long employed by industrialized societies is in need of a restructure. It results in unequal distribution of depleting resources, with UN statistics showing that the 20 per cent of the world's population that lives in rich countries consumes up to 80 per cent of the world's resources (Wackernagel and Rees 1996: 155). This shows the problem of excessive consumption by a minority whose ethical responsibility should be finding ways to reduce their ecological footprint while maintaining a good standard of living without compromising the prospects for growth and development of those whose basic standard of living is poor (Wackernagel and Rees 1996: 154). This requires the will to change both current lifestyles and the systems on which these lifestyles are based. It is not only individuals but also larger groups, such as governments, policy makers, institutions and corporations that can set an example and achieve reductions in their ecological footprint. Sustainability needs to be more than just environmental – it needs to embrace ethical, political, social and economic concerns (Dos Santos Martins, 2009: 3).
