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‘Sustainable Consumption Opportunities for Europe’

Rie Tsutsumi rie.tsutsumi@unep.ch

Estonia, January, 2003

What is Sustainable consumption

The use of goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generation’

(Sustainable Consumption, Oslo, Norway 19 –20 January 1994)

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• ‘Sustainable consumption can be promoted in terms of improved quality of life … Improving consumption may be one of several mechanisms for social transformation that have few losers and a wide array of associated benefits’ (The Netherlands 1994: )

Policy Mandate•Agenda 21 Chapter 4 (1992)•Earth Summit II (1997)•Human Development Report (1998)•UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection (1999)•Commission for Sustainable Development (1999)•UNEP GEO-2000•WSSD: 10 year framework of programmes (2002)

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•How you can achieve sustainable consumption

• Strategic and integrated approach for the action

• Shared responsibility by all • Requires:Strategic policy framework, Business

development, Consumer engagement, Social discussion

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What will be happening in 2003

• 2002: WSSD Johannesburg mandate: prepare 10 year framework of programme on Sustainable Consumption

• 6th Feb. 2003 : UNEP Nairobi, Governing Council to ‘decide’ 10 year fromework

• May 2003 : “Environment for Europe” Kiev Ministerial Conference – Launch “Pan-European Network on Sustainable

Consumption”

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Sustainable Consumption Opportunities for Europe (SCOPE)

• Promoting opportunities for all in Europe, especially in transition countries, for Sustainable Consumption

Through:• Bringing people together (multi- stakeholders), using the

conceptual framework presented in ‘Consumption Opportunities’ report – Identify the needs

• Establish country stakeholder coalitions (government-led) and project packages– Identify actions

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Opportunities for all

• Government – More efficient and profitable economy, more satisfied citizens

• Industry – More efficient and profitable production (e.g. waste minimisation and reducing production cost), better relationship with customers, less exposure to the long term risk

• Consumers – Better products and services• Citizens and society – Protected nature, cleaner

environment, better health

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SCOPE activities1. National Workshops (Multi-

stakeholders dialogue):– Done: Pilot projects

• Pilot Projects: Bulgaria, EstoniaYugoslavia

– To come soon: Hungary, Poland, NIS– Also: UK; other countries Western Europe

2. National Coalitions & Action Plans:– (Estonia) Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary

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Multistakeholders’ dialogue?

Bringing people together across the sectors: governments, industry, civil society, scientists, academic researchers

– Consumption: Governments, industry: also consumers

– Sustainable Consumption and Production: cross sectoral approaches • Bridge the gap between different issues and

dimensions of sustainable consumption & production

• Across sectors, space, and time

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SCOPE: four framework

Efficient Consumption : Dematerialisation of production and

useDifferent Consumption : Changing infrastructure and choiceConscious Consumption : Choosing and using more consciously Appropriate Consumption : Questioning levels of consumption

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Efficient Consumption: Dematerialisation

• What factor of increased resource productivity can be achieved in each product and service? – Tracking throughput of materials and energy – Internalisation of the environmental cost– Major increases in resource productivity– Increase in value through out of the flow of resources

• Tools: CP, LCA, IPP, energy audit, Eco-design, Zero-emissions, waste management, re-use, recycle

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Different Consumption

• What changes in choices and infrastructure will satisfy consumer demand more sustainably?

– Creating new choice – Increased accessibility to green

products:– Changing institutional infrastructure

• Actions – Environment Management, Eco-labelling, reporting,

REM, second-hand market, sharing & leasing scheme, renewable energy

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Conscious Consumption

• How can consumers increase their quality of life by ‘choosing and using’ more wisely? – Information at point-of-sale– General education about products

and services– Shared consumption

• Tools: Eco-labelling, information, reporting, awareness-raising, education (incl.kids)

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Appropriate Consumption

• Are consumption levels sustainable? – To consider ‘appropriate consumption’

• Limit of dematerialisation of production and consumption process and optimisation of consumption may still be unsustainable

• More consumption means better quality of life?

• Tools – Civic discussion, re-thinking about the quality

of life

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SCOPE Activities1. National Workshops:

– Bulgaria, Estonia, Yugoslavia– To come soon:Poland, NIS– Also, Spain and the UK

2. National Coalitions & Action Plans:– (Estonia), – Bulgaria, – Yugoslavia– Hungary

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Participants for the workshops

• Governments: National (Environment, Finance and Industry), Regional, and Local

• Industry/Business/Agriculture– Big (ex-state), Small and Medium sized

companies– National and Local Chambers of Commerce– Agri-business and Organic farmer

• Civil Society• Researchers

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List of issues discussed • Poverty • Politics, corruption • Education and training for Citizen• Indicators of Sustainable Consumption • Media and Advertisement • Transitional process (how to use market mechanism,

including finance, to make production sustainable)? • How to use the existing knowledge, expertises, and

experience in the region?• Luck of Information sharing (technology, financial

institutions) and networking ?

• How to access finance ?

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National Action Plans

• Actions suggested at SCOPE workshops (examples):

• Forming a multi-stakeholder advisory body on sustainable consumption

• Awareness Raising, Education and training: – Developing environmental materials at schools – Education of civil servants, inspectors and

judges– Training and education of business managers (in

‘modern’ management tool and methodologies)

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• Information sharing (technology, financial institutions) and networking

• Set up network to utilise institutions, knowledge and expertise and experience in the region, e.g. yellow pages and web-sites

• Creating positive financial incentives for compliance

• Provide region wide Eco-labeling systems and Organic Agricultural products

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SCOPE

• Bringing people together • Identify needs

– Explore: the issues & needs – Discuss: SCOPE four elements

• Identify actions to be taken– Discuss: SCOPE four elements

Governments, local authorities, industries, civil society, scientists, researchers

• Coalition for Sustainable Consumption and Production ?– Establishing and implementing action plans

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National Coalitions/Networks

• Yugoslavia: – Ministry of Environment

• NGOs, Industry, Chambers of Commerce, Research Institutes

• Hungary– Ministry of Environment ,Regional

Environmental Centre (REC)• NGOs, Industry, Research Institutes, Local

Government

• Estonia

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SCOPE

• Promoting opportunities for all in Europe, especially in transition countries, for Sustainable Consumption

Through:• Bringing people together (multi- stakeholders), using the conceptual framework

presented in ‘Consumption Opportunities’ report – Identify the needs

• Establish country stakeholder coalitions (government-led) and project packages– Identify actions

• www.unep.ch/scope