[Special Feature: Sustainable Consumption] Consumer Education for Ethical Consumption

2019/08/05

There is a saying that "the consumer is king." This is the idea that what and how much a consumer buys is based entirely on their own free will, and that this determines the production systems of companies. It means that the sovereign of economic activity is not the corporation, but the consumer. In other words, consumer sovereignty.

In reality, however, consumer decision-making is influenced by corporate advertising and promotion. Furthermore, as consumers suffered damage to their lives, bodies, or property due to defective products, aggressive solicitation, and misleading labeling, the term "consumer sovereignty" became a slogan for consumer movements demanding that corporations and governments protect consumer interests.

In 1962, U.S. President Kennedy's "Special Message to the Congress on Protecting the Consumer Interest," which articulated four consumer rights, also influenced Japan, leading to the enactment of the Basic Consumer Protection Act in 1968 (though consumer rights provisions were not included at that time). Kennedy declared four rights as consumer rights: "the right to safety," "the right to be informed," "the right to choose," and "the right to be heard." Subsequently, many consumer laws were enacted in Japan, and numerous measures were taken to substantially secure consumer rights. In 2004, the Basic Consumer Protection Act was amended to include consumer rights provisions, and its name was changed to the Basic Consumer Act.

However, a change occurred in the 2000s. While consumers in economic activities are supposed to be the sovereigns, if the 20th century was when they were discovered as victims, the 21st century sees the consumer as a responsible subject who engages in consumption behavior that considers those sacrificed behind the scenes of an affluent consumer life. In other words, it is the discovery of the consumer who can also be (and is) a perpetrator. Article 7, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Consumer Act states, "Consumers shall, in respect of their consumer life, endeavor to give consideration to the conservation of the environment and the proper protection of intellectual property rights, etc.," mentioning consumer responsibility toward society, which was not stipulated in the old law.

Furthermore, the Act on Promotion of Consumer Education was enacted in 2012. In its basic principles of consumer education, the law incorporated the concept of a "Consumer Citizenship Society," where consumers actively participate in creating a fair and sustainable society. The law defines a Consumer Citizenship Society as "a society in which consumers, while mutually respecting the characteristics of individual consumers and the diversity of consumer life, are aware that their own actions regarding consumer life can affect the internal and external socio-economic situation and the global environment over current and future generations, and actively participate in the formation of a fair and sustainable society" (Article 2, Paragraph 2). In Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the basic principles, it states, "Consumer education must be conducted with the aim of actively supporting the development of consumers so that they can actively participate in the formation of a Consumer Citizenship Society as members thereof and contribute to its development."

In other words, while traditional consumer education focused on becoming a smart shopper and education on consumer rights (education to avoid becoming a victim and education to become a consumer who can recover their own rights if victimized), in recent years, there has been a demand for consumer education as consumer citizens who think about the impact of their own consumption on society and act accordingly. There has been a shift from "buymanship" education to "consumer-citizenship" education.

Under these circumstances, sustainable consumption has been demanded in recent years. Amid economic globalization, the fair trade movement has also progressed based on the recognition that consumer behavior forces sacrifices upon workers engaged in production in developing countries. Recently, the concept of "ethical consumption" has emerged.

Ryoichi Yamamoto (Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo), a leading figure in this field, points out the importance of ethical consumption as follows:

"Many Japanese consumers enjoy an affluent consumer life. As long as one has money, any product in the world is obtainable. On the other hand, we are facing various global environmental problems such as global warming and tropical rainforest deforestation, and serious social problems such as poverty are occurring. Our affluent consumer lives are actually closely related to these environmental and social problems. Consumers are required to make product choices that consider not only their own interests but also people in other countries across borders and even descendants across time. In other words, it can be said that not only the companies that produce the products but also the consumers have social responsibilities for environmental and social consideration. The moment of choosing a product is the very moment a consumer changes the world. By citizens keeping ethical consumption in mind, products that are more considerate of the environment, society, and local communities than before will gain competitiveness in the market, and society can be moved in a sustainable direction. A society where consumers actively engage in ethical consumption is called a Consumer Citizenship Society, and the government enacted the Act on Promotion of Consumer Education in 2012 to support the creation of such a society" (NHK broadcast "Perspectives and Points of View: What is Ethical Consumption?" September 8, 2015).

The origin of the term "ethical consumption" is not certain, but the trigger for its general use was the magazine "Ethical Consumer," first published in the UK in 1989. Along with boycotts, it encouraged "buycotts" (a coined word as the antonym of boycott)—actively choosing to buy products from ethical companies. In Japan, the "Japan Ethical Initiative" was born on May 30, 2014, and movements such as holding ethical fashion shows have begun to be seen.

The term "ethical consumption" appeared in the Basic Plan on Consumer Policy approved by the Cabinet on March 24, 2015. The plan explains it as "consumption behavior that considers people, society, and the environment, including regional revitalization and employment." The plan states that "there is a demand to promote consumption that considers social issues, such as creating an environment that enables the selection of products and services that consider the environment, and reducing food and energy loss." It also notes that "there is growing interest in consumption behavior (ethical consumption) that considers people, society, and the environment, including regional revitalization and employment, as well as 'fair trade' initiatives that aim to improve the lives of workers in developing countries by promoting fairer trade by linking producers in developing countries with consumers in developed countries. To promote understanding of such sustainable lifestyles, the Consumer Affairs Agency will conduct research and studies on ethical consumption, etc."

In response to this, the Consumer Affairs Agency established the "Ethical Consumption" Research Group in May 2015. It was launched with 28 private-sector members, and Professor Ryoichi Yamamoto was appointed as the chairperson. In this research group, members gave presentations on domestic and international trends regarding ethical consumption, and hearings were held with experts to organize the points of discussion. Through these activities, the concept of ethical consumption is spreading in Japan. Recently, the Consumer Affairs Agency has been promoting the "Ethical Lab" project, which will be described later.

The research group defined ethical consumption as "each consumer conducting consumption activities while considering the resolution of social issues relevant to them and supporting businesses that tackle such issues. Therefore, consumption behaviors that can be called ethical consumption are broad and encompass many already widespread concepts."

However, there are also voices of criticism against this terminology. In particular, many opinions suggest that "sustainable consumption" is sufficient. Professor Ryoichi Yamamoto explains it along with two related terms as follows (Handout "What is Ethical Consumption?" from the 1st meeting of the research group, May 20, 2015):

Ethical Consumption: Consuming while actively supporting the improvement of social health and considering social issues such as the environment and human rights (Shogo Toyoda)

Social Consumption: Action to solve social issues through consumption in the market (Shuhei Ohira, Yasushi Sonobe, Sumire Stanislawski)

Sustainable Consumption: The use of products and services that meet basic needs and support a higher quality of life without compromising the needs of future generations. That is, the products and services must minimize the use of resources and toxic substances, and the emission of waste and pollutants throughout the entire life cycle (United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), 1995).

Professor Ryoichi Yamamoto states, "Sustainable consumption emphasizes ecological sustainability and is a part of ethical consumption. Social consumption is also included in ethical consumption. Isn't ethical consumption the purchasing behavior of consumers who seek to contribute to the active resolution of environmental and social problems through the selection of products and services based on bioethics, environmental ethics, and social ethics? Since ethics also evolve over time, ethical consumption changes with time as well. The appropriate definition of ethical consumption requires detailed consideration."

With the enactment of the Act on Promotion of Consumer Education as a turning point, consumers are required to be aware of the impact of their own consumption behavior on society as responsible subjects, in addition to being subjects of rights. This is where ethical consumption is required, and it is a social ethic (as a public virtue). Just as securing consumer rights now requires pursuing the responsibility of manufacturers who may be located anywhere in the globalized economy—beyond the responsibility of those in a direct contractual relationship—consumer responsibility also extends to ensuring the working conditions of workers on the other side of the planet. There is a demand to foster consumers who take an interest in and show consideration for invisible people and societies they have never encountered.

As a specific movement, there is the "Ethical Lab" promoted by the Consumer Affairs Agency. It is a "symposium held for the purpose of providing information to widely disseminate the concept to the public regarding the meaning and necessity of ethical consumption—which is consumption behavior that considers people, society, and the environment, including regional revitalization and employment—while also aiming to promote proactive dissemination and awareness-raising activities by local governments" (Consumer Affairs Agency). Starting with the event in Tokyo on December 12, 2015, it has been held in Tokushima, Tottori, Akita, and Yamaguchi. Furthermore, "Ethical Declarations" have been made in these municipalities.

In May of this year, Ai Tominaga, who is active as a fashion model, was appointed as the "Ethical Lifestyle SDGs Ambassador" to promote educational awareness.

In Tokyo, the "Tokyo Metropolitan Basic Plan for Consumer Life" states, "In addition to consumer education that enables consumers themselves to choose actions to avoid becoming victims of fraud or product accidents, we will promote consumption behavior that contributes to the formation of a sustainable society, such as ethical consumption, through consumer education and awareness-raising." For example, they have created a page titled "Think a Little, for a Much Better Future: Ethical Consumption (Ethical Consumption Introduction Page)" on "Tokyo Kurashi WEB" to introduce educational materials related to ethical consumption.

While it can be said that the concept of ethical consumption is becoming quite well-established, actual education is still at the stage of experimental trials.