Strategic shame management – Leveraging individual footprints to nudge sustainable development goal 12

Abstract

In the pursuit of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12) – ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’ - a significant challenge persists: the misalignment between consumer demand for environmentally harmful products and the need for sustainable manufacturing practices. Through seven workshops with consumers, manufacturers, and academics, we explore innovative solutions using systems thinking. Our key finding reveals that calculating individual ecological footprints can catalyse change by triggering guilt in consumers and shame in manufacturers. We propose a three-stage model for policymakers to nudge gradual yet structural changes towards SDG12 by implementing rankings targeting the most polluting supply chains. This research offers theoretical insights into emotion-driven sustainability efforts and practical guidance for industry leaders to align consumer behaviour and manufacturing practices with global sustainability goals.