Rethinking what we take for granted
For decades, public policies, business strategies, and media discussions have promoted certain beliefs about sustainability. We have been told that technology will save us, that consumer choice drives transformation, that growth is essential for prosperity, and that individuals carry the main responsibility for change. These ideas are appealing and sound reasonable, but research increasingly shows that they often distract from the structural and systemic transformations truly required to achieve sustainable consumption levels.
Many of these ideas persist because they are comforting
“Many of these ideas persist because they are comforting,” says Professor Oksana Mont, course lead and Wallenberg Scholar at the IIIEE. “They make us feel that small actions or technological fixes will be enough. But unless we question these narratives, we risk repeating the same mistakes and delaying real change.”
Twelve myths that shape how we think and act
The MOOC is structured around twelve persistent myths about sustainable consumption, grouped across three levels of analysis: individual, organisational, and societal. Each myth is unpacked through a combination of short lectures, expert interviews, readings, and interactive quizzes. Learners explore questions such as:
- Why do we believe that providing more information will automatically change behaviour?
- Can digitalisation and the service economy truly dematerialise consumption?
- Is economic growth necessary for well-being and sustainable lifestyles?
- Are strong sustainability policies incompatible with freedom and happiness?
Each lesson reveals how these myths emerged historically and culturally, what their environmental and social consequences are, and what alternative pathways exist beyond them.
A collaborative effort among leading experts
The course brings together a diverse team of researchers from Lund University and partner institutions including KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Södertörn University, Linköping University, the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS, Potsdam), the University of Surrey, and Swansea University, among others.
Lecturers and contributors include both emerging and established voices in sustainability research, such as Maria Wolrath-Söderberg, Mikael Klintman, Ella Baybikova, Oksana Mont, Patrick Elf, Emma Johnson, Marianne Ekdahl, Jessika Richter, Josefine Henman, Göran Finnveden, Matthias Lehner, Åsa Svenfelt, Paula Berendt, and Lea Becker.
A course for those who want to go deeper
This course is particularly suitable for learners who already have some background or interest in sustainability and want to deepen their understanding of sustainable consumption. It is relevant for students, professionals, policymakers, educators, and citizens who wish to explore how societies can live well within planetary boundaries.
Participants can expect to spend a few hours per week over approximately five weeks completing the lessons. The course can be followed entirely free of charge, and an optional Coursera certificate is available upon completion for a small fee.
Moving beyond myths toward meaningful change
By engaging with this course, learners will:
- Identify and articulate key myths shaping mainstream sustainability narratives.
- Understand how these myths emerged and why they persist.
- Analyse their environmental, social, and economic consequences.
- Explore evidence-based alternatives such as sufficiency, post-growth business models, and strong sustainability policies.
- Reflect on how their own assumptions and actions are influenced by these narratives.
The course highlights that the challenge of sustainable consumption cannot be solved through isolated individual actions or technocratic solutions alone. It requires coordinated efforts among governments, businesses, and citizens to transform systems of provision, values, and infrastructures.
Dispelling myths is not about blaming individuals for believing them. Myths are part of the social fabric – they shape how we see progress, freedom, and responsibility.
As Professor Mont explains, “Dispelling myths is not about blaming individuals for believing them. Myths are part of the social fabric – they shape how we see progress, freedom, and responsibility. But once we start recognising them, we can begin to imagine and build alternative futures that truly align with well-being and planetary limits.”
Join the course
The course Dispelling Myths about Sustainable Consumption is hosted on the Coursera platform and available to learners worldwide. It offers an engaging, research-based, and reflective learning journey designed to inspire critical thinking and action.
The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University is proud to launch a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled “Dispelling Myths about Sustainable Consumption", as part of the Mistra Sustainable Consumption programme. The course is free, open to everyone, and designed to help learners question familiar but misleading ideas about what makes consumption sustainable.
