Sustainable consumption & production Flashcards
Sustainable Consumption and Production - Definition
- Many definitions , but most share a number of common features:
1. Satisfying basic human needs (not the desire for ‘wants’ and luxuries);
2. Favouring quality of life over material standards of living;
3. Minimising resource use, waste and pollution;
4. Taking a life cycle perspective in consumer decision making;
5. Acting with concern for future generations. - Decoupling:
– Doing more and better with less –‘More’ = goods and services, ‘less’ = resource use, environmental degradation, waste and pollution - Applying life cycle thinking
– Sustainable management of resources and achieving resource efficiency - Sizing opportunities for the Global South and “
– SCP contributes to poverty eradication
– “leapfrog” to more resource efficient, environmentally sound and competitive technologies, bypassing the inefficient, polluting, and ultimately costly phases of development followed by most of the Global North
Why do we need sustainable production & consumption?
Impacts of current production and consumption: climate change, loss of biodiversity, ocean plastics…
- Increasing population
Increasing demand for energy & natural resources - The rise in global affluence middle and lower income consumers
– Around 60% of GDP for consumption of goods and services - A culture of “consumerism” among higher income groups
Consumption in the EU…our way of life
- Consumption happens to a large extent in the EU and other Global North countries
BUT… - has global effects due to dependency on imports since more and more products are produced elsewhere
–> Carbon accouting
Implementation of SCP
- All stakeholders have to act together to achieve SCP
Companies:
* Economic development
* Legal compliance
* Ethical practices
* Sustainable sourcing, production and distribution
* Eco efficiency & waste reduction
* Recycling
* Innovation
NGOs:
* Independent assessment
* High profile public campaign
* Critique or endorsement
* Choice influencing
Consumers:
* Purchasing decisions
* Lifestyle choices
* Political support
* Peer to peer influencing
Local and national government:
* International agreements
* National policies, laws and regulations
* Fiscal structures and incentives
* Infrastructure and services
* Guidance for businesses and consumers
* Monitoring
SCP in international history
- Johannesburg 2002: Development of a 10 year Framework for sustainable consumption and production was agreed on
- Marrakesch process started 2003 to develop this framework
- Rio 2012: 10 FYP was adopted
10YFP overview
- Adopted in 2012 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
- 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production
- Global commitment to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production in both developed and developing countries
- Goal of 10 YFP:
– Sustainable consumption and production
– Support 10 YFP activities on regional, global and national level
10YFP Areas
– Public Procurement
– Buildings and Construction
– Tourism
– Food Systems
– Consumer Information
– Lifestyles and Education
Sustainable consumption & production (SCP) considered in the SDGs
SDG 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
–> Global results: East&SOuth Asia, and Sub-Saharan Afria/ low-incom countries very good in SDG achievement; significant challenges in OECD Countries and high income countries
SDG12 GOAL: Responsible consumption & production
Target: 12.1 Implement the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
Target: 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
Target: 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste
Target: 12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
Germans strategy for SCP
- Making sust. consumption a feasible option for consumers
- Taking SC out of the niche into mainstream
- Ensuring all sections of population in SC
- Looking at products and sercives from life cycle perspective
- Shifting the focus from products to systems and from consumers to users -> “Use but don’t use up”
Measures to reach SCP in Germany
- Discussion within society to encourage sustainable consumption
- Education
- Information for consumer, e.g. ecolabels
- Ecodesign
- Sustainable public procurement
- Research, e.g. zweites Preisschild (für die Umwelt)
- Sustainable Mobility
– Support different types of mobility
– Home office, etc.
– Short distances - Food
– Support regional food
– Reduce food waste
– Sustainable diet
Europe & the SDGs - recap
*a range of EU policies contribute to this objective, involving many different actors
* 2016 Commission Communication “Next steps for a sustainable European future: European action for Sustainability “
– 2 work streams:
i) to fully integrate the SDGs in the European policy framework & assessing where we stand & identifying the most relevant sustainability concerns
ii) developing our longer term vision for after 2020 & new Multiannual Financial Framework beyond 2020 will also reorient the EU budget’s
Eco Innovation Action Plan
Actions
– Action 1. Integration into policies focusing on contribution to job creation
– Action 2. Funding, e.g. for demonstration projects, public private partnerships
– Action 3. Standards and performance targets
– Action 4. Support to SMEs, e.g. by new funding instruments
– Action 5. Help European eco innovators access international markets by global SCP patterns
– Action 6. Labour force has skills and knowledge to drive forward the green economy transition
– Action 7. European Innovation Partnerships
European Strategies for SCP
- SCP is a priority in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) and the Eco Innovation Action Plan
- Sustainable production: Best available techniques
– EU has a set of common rules for controlling industrial installations described in the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU (IED)
– European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) produces reference documents on Best Available Techniques (BREFs); can be used to issue permits - Sustainable Product Policy
– Mandatory and voluntary instruments to exclude damaging products and increasing visibility of environmental friendly products - Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan COM (2008) 397
- Circular Economy Action Plan COM(2015) 614 final
- European Ecolabel Regulation EC 66/2010
- Green Public Procurement Communication COM (2008)
- Energy Labelling Directive 2010/30/EU
- Ecodesign requirements for energy related products (ErP Directive 125/EC/2009)
SCP and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan
Dynamic framework to improve the energy and environmental performance of products and foster uptake by consumers (2008, EU)
- Smarter consumption and better products
- Ecodesign Directive
- Labelling of Products
- Promote Green public procurment
- Work with retailers - Actions to achieve leaner production
- Boosting resource efficiency
- supporting eco-innovation
- enhancing the environmental potential of industry - Address the international aspects
- promote sectoral approaches
- promote good practice internationally
- promote international trade in environmentally friendly goods and services
