High consumption, an unsustainable habit that needs more attention

Abstract High consumers contribute to environmental degradation through their own consumption practices and the setting of societal material aspirations. This review of research on individual, social and structural aspects of high consumption shows that high consuming households remain largely unstudied, despite their likely significance for ensuring the well-being of current and future generations. The contradiction between the apparent impact of high consumers and their exclusion from research and policy initiatives highlights the need to initiate a research agenda on the topic of high consumption. This paper sets the scene for a research agenda which seeks to gain a better understanding of the role of high consumers in transitions to more sustainable consumption practices; the psychological, social and structural drivers of high consumption; the precise environmental impact of high consumers; their geographical distribution and the barriers to engaging them in sustainable consumption initiatives.