Ecological Modernization Theory:What About Consumption?

This article takes a critical look at ecological modernization, particularly in regard to its strong “productivist” orientation. The empirical and conceptual focus of ecological modernization is the problematization of production—namely, how things are produced. The question then becomes: Is the problematization of production, in itself, sufficient to render the question of (over)consumption irrelevant? I argue that it is not; a resolution to our global ecological problems can only be found in the problematization of both production and consumption. In presenting this argument, I focus extensively on two salient claims espoused by ecological modernization: (1) the achievement of super- (eco) efficiencies through a program of more production, and (2) its “dematerialization thesis.” This call for equal conceptual emphasis on both consumption and production presents ecological modernization with significant challenges: challenges that, if adequately addressed, will only further strengthen its prominence in the field.