Sustainable consumption and lifestyles – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and D correctly describe key features of sustainable consumption. A highlights reducing unnecessary consumption and improving efficiency, B stresses life-cycle based low-impact choices and D recognises the role of information and awareness in changing behaviour. Statement C is incorrect because sustainable consumption does not demand a total rejection of modern amenities, but rather their responsible use. Therefore, the combination that includes A, B and D while excluding C is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it includes only A and B and leaves out D. While A and B are correct, D is also a valid statement as awareness and education are central to changing consumption patterns. By omitting a correct statement, this option fails to represent the full set of correct statements.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it groups together all the true statements about sustainable consumption: reducing unnecessary use, preferring low-impact products and relying on education and information to influence choices. It rightly excludes C, which exaggerates sustainability as a rejection of modern life. Hence this option matches the conceptual understanding required.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it combines A and D with C. Statement C wrongly assumes that sustainable consumption is synonymous with going back to pre-industrial conditions, which is not the aim of contemporary sustainability discourse. Including this false statement makes the overall combination wrong.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes B, C and D and omits A. Besides leaving out A, which is correct, it wrongly accepts C as valid, thereby presenting an extreme and inaccurate view of sustainable consumption. This combination therefore cannot be chosen.