Implementing Sustainable Consumption and Production

1. 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 UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption

2. Progress? “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed” Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption

3. Change requires ... • Knowing • Wanting • Being able UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption

4. 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

5. Who is willing ... By 2015 … - cut by half proportion of people in extreme poverty - education for all children - access to healthcare for everyone - preserve environment … endorsed by 189 countries UN Millennium Declaration, New York, September 2000 UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption

6. Who is able … • Agenda 21 • UN Guidelines on Consumer Protection – General Assembly 1999 decision 54/449 • More words … or more action? UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. “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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. UNEP’sProduction & 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

17. 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 sc@unep.fr or visithttp://www.uneptie.org/sustain UNEP DTIE Sustainable Consumption