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SDG 12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION

Ensuring sustainable consumption & production patterns is the purpose of Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12). This goal strives to decrease waste, use & reuse resources efficiently, & adopt zero-waste practices.

Actions, stories, & resources related to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals are shared in our latest Auburn University and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals report. They are shared below to illustrate Auburn’s impact. For an overview highlighting our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), please visit aub.ie/sdg.

Sustainable Development Goals Logo

SDG 12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Future economic and social progress depend on sustainable production and consumption patterns. Responsible consumption and production address issues related to food, fuel, over-extraction of resources, social and ethical impacts of product manufacturing, and all other issues involving waste and excessive resource use.

Auburn University is highly engaged with Goal 12, especially through teaching activities. There were no fewer than 90 courses offered from 2019-20121 relating to responsible consumption and production. Auburn University’s sustainability-oriented minors have the highest correlation with SDG 12 at 3 minors. As the world navigates a future of waste elimination, efficient systems, and resource depletion, Auburn University has the potential to be a leader in the charge to navigate these realities sustainably.

View our most recent Auburn University and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals report  for an overview of Auburn’s contributions to all the SDGs.

Actions at Auburn

The Natural Resources Management degree equips students with the knowledge necessary to conserve, maintain, and manage systems of natural resources. Housed in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, this interdisciplinary degree aims to solve diverse and contemporary issues in resource consumption. Based on the relationship between humans and their environment, the Natural Resources Management Degree uses the sustainability compass as a framework to provide humans with the resources needed for the future. Natural Resources Management requires a minor from one of these related areas of study: Nature-Based Recreation, Watershed Sciences, Urban Environmental Science, Natural Resource Ecology, International Business, or Sustainability.

People doing watershed monitoring

SCMN 4620, offered through the Harbert College of Business, addresses how a company must strategically incorporate environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability into its supply chain decision-making. Pressure from customers, policymakers and non-governmental organizations compels companies to address the environmental footprint of their operations and the social impact they have on local communities. Specific topics include ethical sourcing, risk management, transparency, innovation, resource scarcity, waste reduction, carbon emissions, and human rights issues. SCMN 4620 exposes students to the UN SDGs in addition to principles of supply chain management.

Member of the Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging Society tabling.

The Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging Society is a student organization with the goal of educating fellow students and faculty on the Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging Major, as well as discussing professional advancement in relation to the interests of its members. The club focuses on professional outcomes and practical use of utilizing forest biomaterial sustainably. The society provides students a space to explore intersections of biological, ecological, environmental, social, economic, and ethical considerations in sustainable biomaterials and packaging markets in order to provide focus for their future graduate programs, employment, and experiences.

Environmental concerns and evolving technologies are moving companies toward the use of sustainable forest biomaterial for everything from packaging, cosmetics, and automobiles to appliances, pharmaceuticals, and commercial construction. This degree program, offered through the College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, is aimed at providing students with knowledge, expertise, and hands-on experience to prepare them for careers in packaging manufacturing product development and marketing, biomaterials research, supply chain management, and distribution and logistics.

Sustainable Biomaterial students sdg Photo courtesy of Hannah Lester

As an Associate Professor in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, Professor Jerrod Windham focuses on sustainable design strategies for the production of goods and services. Prof. Windham studies the elimination of waste and works to increase efficiencies in supply chains, to improve social and environmental sustainability in communities, benefiting businesses and consumers alike. Through his innovations in digital fabrication, Dr. Windham works to evolve systems of entrepreneurship, assistive technology, and environmental sustainability. Prof. Windham also leads the annual Designing Green initiative, consisting of guest lecturers and a sustainable design competition.

Design sketch
Scientists in RFID lab SDG 12 Photo courtesy of Radio Frequency Identification Lab

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lab, housed in the College of Business, works with industry partners to increase effectiveness of RFID technologies to improve serialized data sharing within the retail industry. The RFID Lab is a research institute focusing on the business case and technical implementation of RFID and other emerging technologies in retail, aviation, supply chain management, and manufacturing. RFID Lab has had success in multiple public-private partnerships, including Amazon.com. RFID technology promotes responsible consumption and production by reducing counterfeit items within the retail industry, which promotes ethical consumption, and improving the accuracy of on-hand inventory at retail stores, which will reduce the instances of excess product and unnecessary shipping.

People & Stories

Go Green for Graduation!

| SDG12, SDG13, SDG3, Sustainability in Action | No Comments
By Bella Wright* Graduation is right around the corner! While we celebrate fellow graduates, let’s keep in mind these tips to help sustain the Loveliest Village on the Plains! Looking to jazz up your graduation photos? Embark on a fun D.I.Y craft to create your own confetti by hole-punching dried…

Sustainability Picnic 2023

| Events, SDG12, SDG3, SDG4 | No Comments
By Hannah Schwartz A student holds a snake after grabbing some fresh flowers. Auburn University’s Sustainability Picnic returned this year for another incredible event with locally-sourced food, live music, and countless involvement opportunities. Over 330 students attended and were able to visit with other students as well as resources, clubs,…

Energy Efficiency is in the Air

| Guest Posts, Professional Development, SDG11, SDG12, Updates | No Comments
By Betsy Farrell Garcia, recipient of the Sustainability Professional Development Sponsorship Award. Extending the applied research in housing access and affordability conducted by faculty and students at Auburn University Rural Studio, the faculty-led Front Porch Initiative works with not-for-profit builder partners across the southeast offering housing products and technical assistance…

“Handprint” Your Way to A Better World

| Guest Posts, SDG12, Updates | No Comments
By Mike Buhmann and Stephanie Richardson In 2021, Auburn University purchased over 800 chairs from Humanscale (the premier designer and manufacturer of ergonomic and sustainable furniture) for use in several departments around campus.   This leaves the world better off by conserving and returning:    3,611 kg of CO2, which equates to…

The Song of the Taiwanese Trash Truck

| Guest Posts, SDG12, SDG13, Updates | No Comments
by Jesse Teel Taiwan had the unfortunate nickname “Garbage Island.” Trash polluted the environment through littering and burning. Mountains of waste rotted in the streets. Taiwan initiated a waste management overhaul and the last two decades have seen a transformation to a clean, largely litter-free country.   The waste and recycling…

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