Internationalizing Lifestyles For Sustainable Development
Mainstream frameworks on sustainable consumption and production fail to holistically capture downstream segments of resource consumption and production systems, especially regarding lifestyle choices, including its links to upstream and midstream components.
This policy brief seeks to develop composite metrics on consumption for G20 countries after which it discusses ways to further internationalize sustainable lifestyles. Norm evolution through internationalization is key to building shared expectations about what constitutes appropriate behaviour among governments and non-state actors in international systems. Even though based on non-binding frameworks, these norms can lead to cascading effects and policy changes within and across countries and stakeholders. India can further seek to internationalize G20 High-Level Principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development through multilateral processes in the United Nations system including through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and United Nations General Assembly.