Who can contribute and in what way? The charge to design for a better world cannot be led by designers alone. They will need support from a broad coalition of actors: Companies: they must develop and market products and services that make an evident and transparent contribution to the SDGs, and provide information on a certified system for sustainability management.
Policymakers: they must set a reliable framework and incentives for sustainable actions in production and consumption; reward sustainable and resource-efficient activities and product developments; impose taxes on or remove non-sustainable products from the market; and provide information on the sustainability of products. Policies must promote consumer protection, research, design and education for sustainability, create actor and user-integrated innovation spaces for the development of sustainable business models (Living Labs) – and evidently be sustainable themselves.
Consumers: they must buy and use more sustainable products. They should actively ask for education on sustainability and product information systems. They can actively co-develop resource-efficient products and living environments in Living Labs. They must exercise their responsibilities as consumers and participate locally in the implementation of the SDGs.
Science: this must generate the fundamental knowledge and research that can transform societies to be more sustainable and culturally diverse. In particular, science must pursue a valid technological assessment and communicate its results to society and politics.
Prof. Dr. Liedtke Folkwang University Essen: https://www.sustainablegoals.org.uk/design-for-sustainability/
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