Bahrain Needs Green Consumerism

BY KOTA SRIRAJ

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

Rising temperatures amid uncontrollable emissions are the new normal of our world today. As a result of this urban spaces are steadily becoming unliveable thanks to unbearable heat and pollution.

One of the contributors to changing climate, pollution and spiralling temperatures is excess consumerism or better known as hyper-consumerism.

While people need to be consumers in order to live and obtain their needs and wants, the same can become a problem when it assumes excess proportions. Excess consumerism is widely thought to be negative for society and environment as it leads to adverse externalities like pollution and waste.

Excess consumerism is ecologically detrimental as the manufacturing processes of every product creates emissions at some point in the supply chain.

This is due to the massive amounts of energy used to power the production facilities and transportation.

In fact, research studies show that at least 45% of global green house gas emissions are from production of goods all over the world.

The global clothing industry alone emits an estimated 20% of water pollution around the world.

The problem of hyper consumerism and its ill effects triggered a minimalism movement across the world whereby people started buying less and less consumer products.

But sadly, minimalism could not reach the scale needed to counter excess consumerism effectively.

Consumerism is a direct reflection of the spending power of the individuals or per capita income; higher per capita income means higher levels of consumerism.

As per statista.com data the household disposable income per capita in Bahrain is forecast to amount to US$15.75k and the total consumer spending in Bahrain is expected to hit US$18.34bn in 2024.

Given this, there is a pertinent need to direct the consumer spending towards sustainable products and services so that the consumer’s carbon footprint does not become a challenge for Bahrain.

The process of educating the customer to make environmentally conscious choice is called as Green Consumerism and this is the need of the hour for Bahrain.

To ensure mainstreaming green consumerism in Bahrain, the nation can approach the subject from two angles.

Firstly, from the perspective of manufacturer of products and services which must be officially rated and graded based on the level of their impact on environment and compliance with the nation’s environmental laws.

The businesses can be trained through awareness programmes to ensure that their products and services create the least possible carbon footprint.

To make this process more effective, Bahrain can offer various incentives to businesses that are compliant with Green Consumerism principles.

This will automatically create a portfolio of green products and services in the market which can provide a compelling alternative for the discerning consumer.

Secondly, and most importantly, the consumer must be sensitised to make informed purchases that are not only based on environmental considerations but also on principles of minimalism.

Here too, consumer can be rewarded for purchasing eco-friendly products by way of financial incentives such as discounts and offers. These can be the initial steps towards creating a robust Green Consumerism movement in Bahrain.

So, whether it is organically grown vegetables or buying appliances that have highest energy ratings, green consumerism can effectively change the narrative in the fight against climate change and rising carbon footprint in Bahrain.

Green consumerism can be a modern tool for Bahrain to protect the environment and promote eco-friendly consumer behaviour.