implementing sustainable consumption and production
DESCRIPTION
Implementing Sustainable Consumption and Production. Towards Sustainable Production and Consumption/SPAC Watch April 5, 2002 New York City Bas de Leeuw United Nations Environment Programme. Progress?. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed” - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Implementing Sustainable Consumption and Production
Towards Sustainable Production and Consumption/SPAC Watch
April 5, 2002New York City
Bas de LeeuwUnited Nations
Environment Programme
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Progress?
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed”
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Change requires ...
Knowing
Wanting
Being able
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Who knows ...
“Consumers are increasingly interested in the “world that lies behind” the product they buy. Apart from price and quality, they want to know how and where and by whom the product has been produced.”
“This increasing awareness about environmental and social issues is a sign of hope. Governments and industry must build on that.”
- Klaus Toepfer, Under-Secretary General of UN, Executive Director UNEP
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Who is willing ...
By 2015 …
- cut by half proportion of people in extreme poverty
- education for all children
- access to health care for everyone
- preserve environment
… endorsed by 189 countries
UN Millennium Declaration, New York, September 2000
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Who is able …
Agenda 21UN Guidelines on Consumer
Protection – General Assembly 1999 decision 54/449
More words … or more action?
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
UN Guidelines: how to promote sustainable consumption…
Mix of policies (regulations, economic and social instruments)
Research on consumer behaviour
Life-cycle design of products and services
Environmental testing
Green procurement
AND …………………..
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Empowering watchdogs
“Governments – in cooperation with business and other relevant groups – should develop indicators, methodologies and databases for measuring progress towards sustainable consumption at all levels. This information should be publicly available.”
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
The UNEP response
Partnership with Consumers International
Global survey about status of implementation of UN Guidelines, section sustainable consumption
Questionnaire to ALL governments
Response: 51 (April 5, 2002)
Who?
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Official responses received from:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Chile, China (People’s Rep. of), Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Germany, Haiti, Hong Kong China, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Rep. of), Kuwait, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovak Republic, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Results classified … until Bali
… % of governments had not even been aware of existence of the guidelines until questionnaire received!
…% state that Guidelines are useful for policy-making!
Only …% believe that modifications needed! Only …% promote research in this area! …% involved in some form of product
testing/eco-labelling
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
“Results” continued …
…% state that they have “effective regulatory mechanisms in place!
Only …% have economic instruments in place! Over …% have some form of recycling
practices! Over …% support product policies (efficient,
cleaner production)! …% have implemented sustainable practices
in their own operations! And …
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Half full or half empty?
Almost 50% of the responding governments have so far not specifically measured progress towards sustainable consumption!
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Signs of hope
Governments, in developed and developing countries and economies in transition are interested and willing to implement;
They are asking information, training, good examples and advise -> capacity building;
UNEP/CI response: “Capacity building for Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns”
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Capacity building for Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
Type II partnership UNEP and Consumers International,
supported by governments and other stakeholders, including major groups and National Cleaner Production Centres (NCPCs);
Three-year training programme, focusing on Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe
Including monitoring, feedback and advise
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
UNEP’s Production & Consumption Branch
Influencing production and consumption patterns
examine underlying drivers for consumption; identify obstacles and opportunities for change improve products and services -> business modernize infrastructure and policy frameworks ->
governments awareness, dialogue and reflection -> consumer groups
… in order to create “space for consumption” for all
UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption
Connect to SC.net world-wide
Regional SC.net’s operational or under construction in: Latin America and Caribbean Europe (SCOPE) Northern American Alliance for SC Asia Pacific Africa
Write to [email protected] or visit http://www.uneptie.org/sustain