Envisioning the Linkages Between Consumption and Production for Sustainability: Outcomes from Expert Workshops in Malaysia

Abstract This paper describes and analyzes a workshop-based procedure to identify critical consumption and production (CP) linkages for sustainability, applied in the Klang Valley, an urban conglomeration centered in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Malaysia, targeting the year 2050. We propose a procedure combining a participatory backcasting approach, a structuralizing template, and scenario design cycles to identify critical CP linkages for sustainability. This procedure was tested in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, where resource and energy consumption is rapidly growing but scarcely studied. The workshops involved local experts from academia, industry, and government, as well as the research team, and established region-specific CP patterns, focusing on three domains, i.e., mobility, household chores, and living space. The results present key patterns for sustainable consumption and production in the Klang Valley and scenarios illustrating its implementation. Political will and strong regulatory enforcement with a particular focus on resource circulation at the end of life are identified as the dominant drivers to promote implementation.