Maurie J. Cohen, in his essay “Will the Trump Tariffs Accelerate the Transition to a Post-Consumer Society?” published in Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy (2025), argues that tariffs introduced by former President Donald Trump in early 2025 may unintentionally catalyze a shift in the U.S. economy from mass consumption to a more sustainable, post-consumer society.
Cohen contends that these protectionist trade measures, while aimed at reshaping global supply chains, have triggered inflationary pressures that could push consumers to reduce material consumption. This reduction, he argues, presents an opportunity for alternatives such as repair economies, localized production, and service-based consumption models. The tariffs, then, serve as both a constraint on conventional consumer habits and a window for transformation.
Cohen’s study shows that systemic transitions often arise not from deliberate design but from the unintended consequences of economic disruption. Using the Trump tariffs as a case, he demonstrates how trade policy typically assessed through economic or geopolitical outcomes can have unexpected environmental and cultural effects. Drawing on degrowth theory and historical analogies, Cohen suggests that such moments can serve as tipping points for ecological change.
These effects, he argues, may extend beyond the U.S. As countries respond to U.S. protectionism with their own trade measures, global consumption patterns could shift. Cohen urges policymakers and sustainability advocates to recognize that economic dislocation can open space for environmental reform if supported by institutional innovation and public backing.
His insights are especially relevant for climate policy, where traditional approaches have struggled to deliver systemic change. Cohen argues that scholars and practitioners must better understand how economic shocks, like tariffs, can become unintended but powerful tools for sustainability transitions.
