Responsible Consumption & Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. One-fifth of all food available to consumers — 1.05 billion tonnes — is wasted annually.
Food waste alone generates 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions
The Numbers That Matter
Why It Matters
Humanity's consumption patterns are unsustainable and accelerating environmental degradation. Food waste reached 1.05 billion tonnes in 2022 — one-fifth of all food available to consumers — while 1 in 11 people go hungry.
Read the full picture
Food loss and waste generate 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with economic costs exceeding $1 trillion annually. Electronic waste hit a record 62 billion kg in 2022 (7.8 kg per person), projected to reach 82 billion kg by 2030, with only 22.3% formally recycled. The world consumed 516 million tonnes of plastics in 2025. Fossil fuel subsidies hit a record $1.53 trillion in 2022, tripling since 2015 and undermining the net-zero transition. On the positive side, 96% of the world's 250 largest companies now publish sustainability reports, and the number of reports grew nearly fourfold between 2016 and 2023.
Topics Covered
Take Action
Turn what you've learned into real impact. Join a challenge and track your progress.
Plastic-Free Week
Go an entire week without purchasing any single-use plastics.
Want to explore more goals?
Each SDG is interconnected. Discover how other goals relate to Responsible Consumption.
Explore All SDGs