The need to balance limited natural resources with consumption-led growth is the biggest challenge facing the 2030 Development Agenda. The panel on creating and promoting more sustainable lifestyles explored how the BRICS grouping can reimagine consumption patterns and align them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The economy, the environment and energy were three critical issues that the panel discussed as the “forgotten” SDGs are of critical importance
for the BRICS to investigate.
In China, the beauty and transportation sector has started developing by subsidising these sectors. Electronic vehicle deployment is a major focus. The panel heard that shared mobility was one of the ways to preserve the environment and
minimise living costs.
Energy efficiency is vital for developing countries and research has shown that exploring energy potential will improve energy
production. The panel agreed that the BRICS countries need to create a balance between sustainable consumption and lifestyle
– and the need to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy is more pressing than ever.
With the challenge of an ever-growing worldwide population, regulation in agricultural production needs to be developed to
ensure food security. There was also consensus that the transition to a greener world need not be abrupt and BRICS needs to
appreciate and formulate policy and systems for recycling.
