Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and Production Policies: Taking action together -...

7/31/2019 Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and Production Policies: Taking action together - Executive Summary

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executive summary

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Global outlookon

SuStainable

ConSumptionand

produCtion poliCieS

Taking action together


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Copyright United Nations Environment Programme, 2012

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Acknowledgements

Supervision:Charles Arden-Clarke, Head, Goods and Services Unit, UNEP.Adriana Zacarias Farah, Programme Off icer, UNEP.

Project coordination: Nicole Polsterer, Consultant, UNEP.

Authors and Contributors:SCP at the Global level and Introduction to Regional Chapters:Authors: Chris Beaton and Oshani Perera (International Institutefor Sustainable Development IISD). Contributors: Charles Arden-Clarke, Adriana Zacarias Farah, Nicole Polsterer, (UNEP).

Regional Chapters:

Africa:

Authors: Andrew Kitenge, Cleophas Migiro and Binelias Mndewa(Secretariat, African Roundtable on SCP-ARSCP). Contributors: UteSonntag (AEM-GIZ) and ARSCP Members: Cheikh Fofana (Senegal),Geofrey Bakanga (Tanzania), Moussa Barry (Mali), Hanan El Hadary(Egypt), Lambert Faabeluon (Ghana), Leonardo Guiruta (Mozambique),Hanan Hanzaz (Morocco), Ibimina Kakulu (Nigeria), Edga Mugisha(Uganda), Constantine Mwembela (Zambia), Yeo Napari (CtedIvoire), Ndivhuho Raphulu (South Africa), Sacheedanand Tahalo(Mauritius) and Louis Blanc Traore (Burkina Faso).

Asia-Pacific:

Author: Lewis Akenji (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies IGES). Contributors: Magnus Bengtsson, Simon Olsen (IGES).

Latin America and the Caribbean:

Authors: Elisa Tonda and Silvia Ozuna Briggs (UNEP). Contributors:Maite Cortez, Jorge Alberto Alatorre Flores, David Lopez, (CentroEcologico Jalisco- CEJ) and Tanya Holmes (UNEP).

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Region:

Author: Jimena Fernandez. Contributors: Mikkel Hansen Stenbaek,David Mc Kinnon and David Watson (Copenhagen ResourceInstitute), Hilary French, Jordan Menzel, Cline Ramstein, Rie

Tsutsumi, Emily Werner (UNEP) and Chris Beaton (IISD).

West Asia:

Authors: Hossam Allam, Ahmed El-Dorghamy and Suzy Imam(Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region andEurope CEDARE). Contributors: Khaled Abuzeid and MohamedElrawady (CEDARE), Emad Adly (Arab Network for Environment andDevelopment) and Nawal AL-Hosany (Masdar City Project), andRaouf Dabbas (Ministry of Environment, Jordan).

Research Framework: Copenhagen Resource Institute and UNEP.

Editorial Board: Ibrahim Abdel-Gelil (Arabian Gulf University),Luigi Cabrini (World Tourism Organization), Bernard Combes(UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), Laksmi

Dhewanthi (Ministry of Environment of Republic of Indonesia),Hanan El Hadary (Egypt National Cleaner Production Centre),Alexandre Meybeck (Food and Agriculture Organization),Ramjeawon Toolseeram (University of Mauritius), Olivier Vilaca(World Business Council on Sustainable Development).

Special thanks to our partners: Dorothee Convens-Billerbeck,Gyrgyi Gurbn and Hugo-Maria Schally (European Commission).

Thanks to our SCP Branch colleagues, in particular to: KhairoonAbbas, Nis Christensen, Patrick Clairzier, Jim Curlin, CarlosEnmanuel, Stefanos Fotiou, Curt Garrigan, Arab Hoballah, TanyaHolmes, Cornis Lugt, Desta Mebratu, Patrick Mwesigye, MoiraOBrian, Fabienne Pierre, Liazzat Rabbiosi, Lowri Rees, Luc Reuter,Guido Sonnemann and Farid Yaker.

Creation of survey and database: Alfred Dipa Iskandar, withcontributions from, Ester del Monte, Julien Hortoneda and SaifulRidwan (UNEP).

Translation and communications for survey and website: MaiteAldaya, Samira de Gobert, Nicole de Santis, Solange Montillaud-Joyel, Nick Nuttall, Moira OBrian, Elodie Perrat, Liazzat Rabbiosiand Olga Sedinkina (UNEP).

Technical Support: Shabani Ely Katembo, Consultant, UNEP.

Copy editors: Lisa Muirrhead. Contributing editors: Debora Holmesand Roger East.

Photos: Unless otherwise stated pictures have been sourced fromiStockphoto and Shutterstock.

Design/Layout: Steve Paveley Design.

The report should be referenced as follows: UNEP (2012), GlobalOutlook on SCP Policies: taking action together.


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on ecosystems, which can irreversibly collapse after

overexploitation.

One thing in common for all of these challengesis the need for a concerted, cooperative effort toovercome them. In our interconnected world, supplychains are truly global. Resource extraction, theproduction of intermediate inputs, distribution,marketing, waste disposal and re-use of mostproducts take place across and linking the worldsnational economies. The consumption patterns inone country can have negative impacts on the bio-physical and social environment in neighbouring or

even distant ones.

Chapter one explores the evolution of the SCPconcept and its approach, with the life-cycleperspective at its core. SCP focuses on thesustainable and efficient management of resourcesat all stages of value chains of goods and services.It encourages the development of processes thatuse fewer resources and generate less waste,including hazardous substances, while yieldingenvironmental benefits and frequently productivityand economic gains. Such improvements can also

increase the competitiveness of enterprises, turningsolutions for sustainability challenges into business,employment and export opportunities.

The fundamental objective of SCP is to decoupleeconomic growth from environmental degradation.Achieving SCP patterns will sustain improvementsin economic development and human welfare thatwe depend on, including improvements in healthand education. In other words, SCP aims at doingmore and better with less across the entire lifecycle of products, while increasing quality of lifefor all. More delivered in terms of goods and

services, with less impact in terms of resource use,environmental degradation, waste and pollution.

SCP at the Global Level

The Global Outlook on SCP Policies reviewsinternational efforts to promote SCP that are beingdriven by intergovernmental organizations, businessand civil society (Chapter 2). It highlights that atthe intergovernmental level, the adoption of a SCPapproach as an international commitment andgoal is an important milestone in tackling these

challenges. The 1992 United Nations Conferenceon Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro(the Earth Summit), and the 2002 World Summit onSustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburglaid the global foundation for many efforts to

The Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and

Production (SCP) Policies, developed by the UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP) with thefinancial support of the European Commission,provides a non-exhaustive review of policies andinitiatives that are promoting the shift towards SCPpatterns. It is illustrated by 56 case studies rangingfrom global multilateral agreements and regionalstrategies to specific policies and initiatives beingimplemented by governments, businesses and civilsociety organizations.

The Global Outlook on SCP Policies main objectives

are to provide information about existing activitiespromoting SCP, to identify best practices, and toprovide recommendations to adapt, replicate andscale up SCP policies and initiatives contributingto the overarching goal of achieving sustainabledevelopment.

The Imperative of Sustainable

Consumption and Production

Although economic development over the past 30years has managed to lift millions out of poverty and

expand the number of countries reaching middle-income status, it has also been accompanied bya wide array of negative environmental and socialimpacts. These impacts threaten to undermine, oreven reverse, the economic development that hasbeen achieved to date. Globally, resource consumptioncontinues to rise, waste and pollution grows, and thegap between rich and poor stretches wider. As we gaingreater scientific understanding about our planetsbio-physical constraints, so too do we appreciate thegrowing scale of the challenges before us.

At the time of writing this report, the global economic

system is still plagued by recent multiple crises withsignificant consequences for the worlds poor. Highlyvolatile and rising oil prices put further pressure onthe gains that have been achieved through economicdevelopment. Rapidly increasing food and commodityprices, in part driven by increased fuel prices,reflect further the inter-linkages of economic andenvironmental challenges. Considering a projectedpopulation of 9 billion in 2050, feeding the worldwill be a major challenge, given current consumptiontrends. Putting in place a more sustainable foodsupply systems is clearly an urgent need.

Consumption of natural resources is increasing andwill accelerate further if projected growth rates of theworld economy are realized. This is alarming for bothnon-renewable and renewable resources that depend

Executive Summary


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promote SCP at the regional and national levels.Another important way in which governments havepromoted SCP has been through the negotiationand implementation of multilateral environmentalagreements (MEAs). Although most MEAs do notexplicitly refer to SCP, in practice treaties impact

and alter many stages of a products life cycle. Forexample, defining and understanding ozone layerdepletion were central to the speed with which theVienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol onSubstances that Deplete the Ozone Layer wereagreed upon. Governments have since reduced orcontrolled use of ozone-depleting substances in theproduction, consumption and disposal phases ofmany products.

Intergovernmental efforts to promote SCP havealso been developed through initiatives focused on

thematic issues. For example, the informal, multi-stakeholder Marrakech Process, which respondedto the call by the 2002 WSSD to develop a 10-Year Framework of Programmes on SCP (10YFP),supported the development of a global multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue and cooperationto help implement SCP worldwide. The MarrakechProcess facilitated the establishment of seventhematic task forces, and development of expertiseand approaches to promote and implement SCPat regional, national and local levels. These taskforces have provided policies, capacity-building

methodologies, as well as supporting demonstrationprojects on SCP.

Parallel to these activities, businesses in thepast few decades have developed and put intopractice a number of tools to promote SCP, suchas environmental management systems (EMS).This has been an important way for companiesto operationalize the concept of SCP, offeringopportunities to improve environmental performance,while yielding cost-savings. The InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO) has also beeninstrumental in establishing standards for EMS and

tools to guide companies around the world on theconduct of Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs). The ISO14000 suite of standards enables an organizationto identify and manage the environmental impacts ofits activities, establish environmental performanceobjectives and targets, and adopt a life-cycleperspective in managing those impacts.

Reporting on commitments to sustainability is alsobecoming increasingly common and important tobusiness interests. The Global Reporting Initiative(GRI) sets out the reporting principles and generic

performance indicators that organizations canuse to measure and report on the sustainabilityof their operations. With the aim of creatingsuch a globally accepted integrated reportingframework, the GRI and the Princes Accounting for

Sustainability Project announced the formation ofthe International Integrated Reporting Committee,which brings together financial, environmental, socialand governance information in a clear, concise,consistent and comparable format.

At the global level, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)represent a highly diverse set of actors on SCP. Manyhave evolved significantly in the past few decades,beginning as small, single-issue organizations, andultimately transforming into international organizationswith wide portfolios of activity and large budgets. ManyCSOs can be seen multiplying their individual impactsthrough partnerships with governments, business andother actors, which have been key means to promoteSCP at all levels.

The CSOs have also been instrumental in developing

and harmonizing some important voluntarystandards. For example, Fairtrade International (FLO)coordinates labels for around 15 product groups,from agricultural commodities to gold and sportsballs. FLOs label promotes sustainable consumptionby helping consumers identify goods that havebeen produced under socially fairer and moreenvironmentally friendly conditions. The label alsopromotes sustainable production by guaranteeingthat the price for each product group is set to besocially sustainable, giving producers the means toimprove their living and working conditions. FLO-

certified product sales saw a significant increase of15 per cent between 2008 and 2009, amounting to3.4 billion worldwide.

Action on SCP at the Regional and

National Levels

At the regional level, a number of intergovernmentalbodies have established SCP frameworks, such asthe European Unions Sustainable Consumption andProduction and Sustainable Industrial Policy (SCP/SIP) Action Plan. Africa, the Arab region and theLatin America and Caribbean regions have developed

SCP strategies with the support of the MarrakechProcess. Those strategies have been endorsed bythe relevant regional intergovernmental bodies.

Each regional chapter analyses activities onSCP undertaken by governments, business andcivil society as well as an analysis of the type ofinstruments (regulatory, economic, voluntary orinformation-based) that are used or promoted bythese three actors (chapters 3 to 8).

In Africa, the regional 10-Year Framework of

Programmes on SCP has spurred the developmentand implementation of a number of sub-regional,national and local SCP programmes. For example,pilot projects for mainstreaming SCP in national- andcity-level development policies and action plans


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on SCP were conducted in Tanzania and Cairo in

Egypt. The recently launched African EcolabellingMechanism helps to validate and harmonizeecolabelling initiatives in the region, to better identifysustainable products and increase markets for themin Africa and beyond.

The National Cleaner Production Centres (NCPCs)are very active in Africa. They have supported theestablishment of the African Roundtable on SCP in2002, which plays a key role in implementing variousSCP activities. Businesses in Africa have startedto integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR)by establishing business linkages with the local

communities, forming public-private partnershipsand voluntary reporting. The CSOs in Africa arefocusing on education, skill development, promotionof clean production methods and conservationof natural resources; all this contributing toempowerment and capacity-building. If enabledtechnically and financially, this group has thepotential to disseminate the concept of SCP morewidely in both rural and urban areas (Chapter 4).

In Asia and the Pacific, the Green Growth Initiativehas been widely adopted by countries as a way

to reconcile tensions between poverty reductionand environmental sustainability. The GreenGrowth Initiative promotes SCP, development ofsustainable infrastructure, and the introduction ofgreen tax reform, while improving the eco-efficiency

of economic growth. Another important regional

initiative is the European Commission-fundedSWITCH Asia Programme, promoting SCP amongSmall and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) andsupporting Asian policymakers in shifting towardsSCP practices. The SWITCH Asia Programme hasfunded more than 47 projects in 15 Asian countriesin areas such as green public procurement, cleanerproduction and ecolabelling. An important multi-stakeholder platform is the Asia and the PacificRoundtable on SCP which is an increasingly activeforum for dialogue and cooperation (Chapter 5).

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a Regional

Council of Government Experts on SCP was set upin 2003 to support the implementation of the SCPregional strategy. This Council works closely withthe LAC Forum of Environment Ministers, whichhas endorsed important elements of the SCPRegional Strategy. The region has identified four SCPpriorities: national SCP action plans, sustainablepublic procurement (SPP), SMEs, and educationand sustainable lifestyles. Various activities arealso taking place at the sub-regional level such asthe Central American Commission for Environmentand Development initiative on SPP. The Mercosur

countries have developed a Policy for Promotion andCooperation on SCP, which focuses on harmonizingpolicies, encouraging cooperation on SPP andsustainable consumption, stimulating eco-innovationand promoting education.

Eco Mark Africa

The Eco Mark Africa label has been developedby the African Eco-labelling Mechanism (AEM).It is under the auspices of the African UnionCommission and hosted by the African Organisationfor Standardisation (ARSO) in Nairobi, Kenya.

The initiative, which is supported by the MarrakechTask Force on Cooperation with Africa and theGerman Agency for Technical Cooperation (DeutscheGesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit[GIZ]) promotes African products in intra-African and

international trade through the inclusion of ecologicalparameters into product standards. The objectiveof this project is to: reliably identify sustainableproducts from the agriculture, forestry, fisheries andtourism sectors; add to the value of African brands;and improve the image of sustainable Africanproducts on international markets. This improvesAfricas market share at national, regional andinternational levels (UNEP and ARSCP, undated).

The importanceof ecolabelling hasbeen recognized inseveral countries.For example:

Tunisia hasnational organicstandards equivalentto those of the EuropeanUnion (EU) that focus onpromoting environmental quality, preservingconsumer health and safety, and improvingthe competitiveness of its exports abroad.In 2007 Tunisia started with a set of pilotproduct categories involving companies fromthe textiles, tourism, soap and detergents, and

agro industries (UNECA and UNECA, 2008)Kenya, which is the leading exporter of leather

products in the East African Community(EAC) and in the Common Market for Easternand Southern Africa, is developing ecolabelstandards with the help of UNEP, to meetEU standards for leather, to make full use ofits production capacity and to increase itsinternational market share (Janisch, 2007).


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In the LAC region, over 95 per cent of the companiesare micro enterprises or SMEs. Although they contributeto less than 50 per cent to the regions Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) they are the source of almost 70 percent of employment. An increasing number of tools andinstruments are being developed to promote social

and environmental management in SMEs, such asthe guidelines for SMEs of the GRI; the indicators forCSR; and training on cleaner production and resourceefficiency. The NCPCs have become key players inhelping businesses adopt good environmental practicesand move towards SCP (Chapter 6).

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

(UNECE), the extent to which SCP related policyhas been implemented in different countries of theUNECE region reflects the widely divergent levelsof economic development, political structure and

differences in governance. In the European Union(EU) and European Free Trade Association regionsSCP is high on the political agenda. The Europe2020 Strategy focuses on smart, sustainable and

inclusive growth including a flagship initiative onresource efficiency. The South Eastern Europe (SEE)and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia(EECCA) countries have no regional strategy on SCP however, some countries have adopted NationalSustainable Development Strategies, including

SCP as a key priority. Regulatory tools are the mostcommon instruments in this sub-region, with policiessuch as standards in chemical use, constructionand energy labelling. North America is notable forits effective use of partnerships with industry andcivil society, such as the multi-stakeholder processthat led to the development of the Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificationprogramme for buildings. The public sector in theUnited States gives strong signals to the marketthrough executive orders requiring federal agenciesto acquire products that are energy and water

efficient, and environmentally preferable.

In general, businesses in the UNECE region have beenmaking significant headway in responding to public

The SWITCH Asia programme

The SWITCH Asia programme was set up by theEuropean Commission in line with its StrategyDocument for Regional Programming in Asia andprovides funding opportunities of 152 millionover the period 2007-2013. The aim is to promoteSCP among SMEs and support Asian policymakersin designing policies to promote the shift to SCP.The SWITCH-Asia Programme is made up of threestrategic components:

1) Through project grants, projects are fundedthat show a potential for replication and canproduce quantifiable reductions both of CO2

emissions and of resource, water and energyconsumption. So far SWITCH Asia has funded47 projects in 15 Asian countries in areas suchas greening supply chains, marketing for eco-products, green public procurement, cleanerproduction, ecolabelling and products for thepoor.

2) The Network Facility provides support forprojects funded under the SWITCH Asiaprogramme in order to increase the qualityand impact of project activities, along with

facilitating the uptake of successful results byAsian policymakers.

3) The Policy Support component, launched in2010, aims to strengthen the formulation

and implementation of SCP policies in Asia.On a regional level this is done primarilythrough capacity-building in collaboration withUNEP. Furthermore, national policy supportcomponents, managed by EU Delegations,will focus on selected countries Malaysia,

Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines thathave already gathered experience in applyingSCP tools.

In addition to promoting specific SCP practices,the projects employ innovative replicatingmechanisms such as voluntary agreements,public-private partnerships, and upgrading oftechnical standards or reinforcement of existingSCP service providers to make countries self-sustainable on the market.

Source: European Commission Development and

Cooperation EuropeAid (2011)


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demand for more sustainable products and greatertransparency. In particular, retailers have been drivingupstream improvements not only within the UNECEregion, but across global markets. Government-business initiatives in the EU and EFTA regions havebeen useful in forming sectoral consensus (e.g., the

European Food SCP Roundtable and the EU RetailForum) and engaging in collaborative action promotingSCP. The nature of CSOs is diverse. They promotepartnerships, create and participate in platformswith the business sector, inform and communicateon SCP and sustainable development, build capacity,and set standards. One example is Transition Towns,an initiative that advocates for sustainable living andseeks practical solutions to lessen dependence onoil. It has spread globally, and such towns are nowestablished in 130 countries (Chapter 7).

In West Asia, the Arab Regional Strategy forSCP was endorsed in 2009 by relevant regionalintergovernmental organizations. It encouragesthe use of products and services that ensure

environmental protection; conserve water andenergy as well as other natural resources, whilecontributing to poverty eradication and sustainablelifestyles. The strategy identifies six priorities:(i) energy for sustainable development (ii) waterresources management (iii) waste management

(iv) rural development and eradication of poverty(v) education and sustainable lifestyles and (vi)sustainable tourism. The regional cooperation on SCPpolicies and initiatives are strengthened by initiativessuch as the Arab Regional Roundtable on SCP. Theregion is also experiencing an important increasein environmental policies, such as improving theefficiency of an electricity grid, providing new modesof transportation, and new technologies. The GulfCooperation Council (GCC) countries interconnectiongrid, the project on rational energy use in Kuwait, theMasdar Green City and Qatar Water Policy are good

examples of SCP initiatives (Chapter 8).

The Global Outlook on SCP Policies identifies arange of market, regulatory and voluntary policy

The Central American Commission

for Environment and Development

(CCAD) initiative on sustainablepublic procurement

Governments are among the largest singleconsumers within any given market. Recognizingpublic procurement as a powerful tool, the CCADhas launched an initiative to promote sustainablepublic procurement (SPP) at the regional level and bynational governments.

The Regional Policy on Public Procurement wasdeveloped to ensuring cost efficiency in procurement

by governmental institutions, while at the sametime identifying opportunities for more efficient useof materials, resources and energy, contributing tothe protection of human health and fostering thedevelopment of a regional market for sustainableand innovative goods and services. Key nationalstakeholders were involved in consultations includingrepresentatives of the Ministries of Environment,Economy, Agriculture, Tourism, and Labour,national procurement authorities and civil societyorganizations (CSOs).

The policy foresees national and regionalinterventions addressing four specific areas:(i) Institutional, ensuring that relevant information

and methodologies are adapted to the specificcontext of the countries

(ii) Legal, ensuring that SPP is included in a coherentway in member country legislation and that theirapproaches are harmonized

(iii) Technical, providing support to the providers ofgoods and services in the shift towards moresustainable production practices

(iv) Information and capacity-building, developing theessential technical skills for implementing SPP inboth the public and the private sectors.

Having concentrated its efforts in 2010 onformulating this regional policy and gettingit approved, CCAD is now focusing on itsimplementation in the Central American countries,in partnership with the United Nations and otherinstitutions. This process will build on results alreadyachieved in pilot projects within the subregion.Particular attention will be paid to the greenprocurement guidelines developed by the Centro

de Gestin Tecnolgica e Informtica Industrial(CEGESTI, Costa Rica), and to the Marrakech TaskForce approach on Sustainable Public Procurement,adapted to the Latin American context as a result ofthe implementation of a pilot project in a number ofcountries in the region, including Costa Rica (UNEP,2008d; CEGESTI, 2008).


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instruments and initiatives spanning entireproduct value chains and different sectorsand themes, involving all major stakeholders.An example of a policy initiative is the 50 percent tax deduction on environmentally friendlyhybrid cars imported into Jordan. An illustrative

regulatory instrument is the European UnionsREACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization andrestriction of Chemicals) directive that regulateschemicals. Information-based instruments includethe National Green Passport campaigns in Brazil,Ecuador and South Africa.

At the national level, many countries have adoptedSCP action plans or strategies. In Africa, thisincludes Ghana, Mauritius, Tanzania and Zambia.In LAC, such plans have been drawn up in Brazil,Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador,

Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. In the EU, dedicatednational SCP action plans have been developedby the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, and theUnited Kingdom. In some regions, SCP has beenintegrated into other planning processes. In SEE,

EECCA, North America and West Asia, for example,national-level SCP planning is largely part of existingnational strategies for sustainable development orother short- and medium-term development plans.

In the Asia-Pacific region, national Green Growth

strategies have proliferated since 2005. Thesestrategies focus on investment in sustainableinfrastructure, raising revenue and improving eco-efficiency while reducing poverty. Many governmentsalso target policies in specific sectors, wherestrategies have been put together to promotesustainable agriculture. Transparent and openconsultation processes have been central to thesuccessful elaboration and further implementationof such national SCP action plans, as has theengagement of a broad range of stakeholders.

More generally, SCP programmes in emerging anddeveloping countries continue to face significantfunding challenges and continue to rely oninternational donor support. A particular gap existswith regard to action on the consumption side.

come from simple measures, such as harvestingrainwater for re-use. Other farmers haveachieved higher yields per cow by using feedmore efficiently, or managing their fertiliser and

manure applications differently. Farmers receiveadditional veterinary support to improve thehealth and welfare of their herds, and informationtechnology equipment and training to helpmonitor progress (J Sainsbury PLC, 2010).

According to Sainsburys, the health and welfarework stream has delivered improvementsin profitability for Sainsburys dairy farmersof 1.6 million in 2009 (J Sainsbury PLC,2010). Following the success of its SDDG, thesupermarket rolled out this approach across itsprimary agricultural supply base, consisting of

beef, lamb, pork, eggs, chicken, milk, cheese,grain and produce. Sainsburys also won BestRetail Initiative at the BBC Radio 4 Food andFarming Awards for helping its farmers reducetheir carbon footprint and achieve financialsavings in 2010 (J Sainsbury PLC, 2010). In2006 a study called Greening Supermarketswas carried out by the United Kingdom NationalConsumer Council. It looked at carbon footprintand seasonality of produce, waste andsustainable farming. In the study of eight majorUnited Kingdom retailers Sainsburys received

the second best rating (together with Marks& Spencer). The study highlighted Sainsburysachievements in the areas of offering MarineStewardship Council-certified fish and organicproducts (Dibb, 2006).

Sustainable supply chain initiative inthe agri-food sector

Sainsburys Dairy Development Group (SDDG),based in the third largest chain of supermarketsin the United Kingdom, supports initiatives to helpfarmers and suppliers produce more sustainably.Together with an environmental consultancy,SDDG developed a carbon footprint model forits producers. The model provides farmers withindividual advice on how to improve their footprint.By 2010, it had carbon footprinted over 325SDDG farms, 98 cheese development farms,

260 beef development farms and 1,400 lambdevelopment farms (J Sainsbury PLC, 2010). Thecompany explains that, in SDDG farms, someof the reductions in energy and emissions have


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In some cases, business initiatives also concentrateon innovation in the design, production and distributionof products that is informed by a life-cycle approach.Some businesses in the LAC region are focusing

particularly on improvements to production processesthrough the introduction of clean energy, the reductionof environmentally harmful inputs and the recyclingof waste. The NCPCs in developing and transitioneconomies, have been supporting businesses bygenerating data on resource-efficient practices andproviding technical assistance to SMEs. Governmentstrategies have recognized the need for dedicatedfunding, such as the Resource-Efficient Europestrategy calling for a Small Business Act that helpsSMEs face the challenges of globalization and climatechange. But SCP has not yet become a core criterion

in financial decision-making, which represents anobstacle to replicate and scale up good practices.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have also playeda key role in making sure that SCP remains on both

Masdar City aspires to be a zero-waste, zero-carbon city (Masdar, 2011c). It is located 17km from downtown Abu Dhabi. It aims to host40,000 citizens upon completion and hundredsof businesses. The majority of seed funding for

this project is provided by the government of AbuDhabi, which put up US$15 billion in seed capital(Economist, 2008).

The first six buildings and infrastructure built so farshowcase several techniques to achieve the zero-carbon and zero-waste city planning. These includethe following (Masdar, 2011b):

Life-cycle considerations are integrated in thematerials used, leading to substantial cuts inembodied carbon quantities;

Passive lighting and passive ventilation whilecarefully maintaining sunlight;

Transportation by clean electric busses, and inlater phases metro and light rail;

Energy efficiency in buildings;

Harnessing solar energy;

Saving water through efficient fittings andfixtures cuts building consumption along withthe use of micro irrigations;

Waste recycling leading to 60 per cent recoveryfor reuse, recycling or composting.

Masdar City applies principles of a One PlanetLiving programme, developed by NGO BioRegional in partnership with the World WildlifeFund and aims at meeting the standards ofsustainability to qualify it as a One PlanetCommunity (World Wildlife Fund, 2008).

Green City: Masdar

Established in 2006, Masdar is a commerciallydriven enterprise to make Abu Dhabi thepreeminent source of renewable energyknowledge, development and implementation,and the worlds benchmark for SustainableDevelopment (SD) (Masdar, 2011a). It aims tomanage long-term, capital-intensive investmentsthat deliver strong financial returns and tangiblesocial benefits for the emirate (Mubadala, 2011).

Foster+Partn

ers

Initiatives and instruments promoted by

Business and Civil Society Organizations

Businesses are highly dynamic actors in the

promotion of SCP. Indeed, many information-basedpolicies and schemes are voluntary and based onprinciples of corporate social and environmentalresponsibility (CSER). Sustainability reporting is onthe rise in a number of regions. This rise indicatesthat an increasing number of businesses haveimplemented resource efficiency, cleaner productionand environmental management programmes.Similarly, environmental management standardshave increasingly been taken up. In most countriesin Asia and the Pacific, for example, the number ofISO 14001 standards adopted jumped by more than

130 per cent between 2006 and 2010. Businesseshave also formed platforms for information-sharing onwider sustainable development issues, such as theWorld Business Council for Sustainable Developmentand the Africa Corporate Sustainability Forum.


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government and business agendas. Worldwide,the CSOs are strong advocates for SCP and an

important channel for informing, training, enablingand empowering citizens. In Africa in particular, CSOsfill a service provision gap for sustainable productsby providing seed financing for their development,offering education on sustainable development andestablishing income-generating ventures. In West Asia,a number of CSO activities, while not labelled as SCP,clearly promote SCP through campaigns and educationprogrammes related to sustainable development.

A wide range of activities has been undertakenby governments, businesses and CSOs. However,

much more needs to be done to bring us on to apath towards achieving the sustainable patterns ofconsumption and production that necessarily underpinsustainable development. Enhancing cooperation andmore concerted and coordinated action at all levels will

be essential to achieving the necessary transformationin consumption and production patterns.

The Way Forward

The existing policies, tools and programmespresented in The Global Outlook on SCP Policies mustbe continued, expanded and improved upon; as wellas new and innovative strategies are needed. Thelast section of this report provides a summary ofthe main findings and recommendations for bothpolicymakers and decision makers in businessesand CSOs, aiming to foster such scaling up andreplication, and accelerating the transition to SCP.

As we look forward to the 2012 United NationsConference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20),it is clear that implementing existing policies,expanding capacity-building activities and sharing

Sustainable forestry

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is aninternational standard-setting body offeringcertification for sustainable forest products. Ituses a widely recognized logo to provide reliableinformation to consumers and to help producersbenefit from managing forest resources sustainably.

One feature that illustrates best practice instandard setting is the FSCs discriminationbetween different parts of the forest supplychain. As timber starts off as a commodity

and is then manufactured, the FSC has forestmanagement certification for forest managers,chain of custody (CoC) certification for companiesthat manufacture, trade or process forest products,and FSC Controlled Wood criteria to helpcompanies ensure that mixing non-FSC certifiedwood with FSC sources will not introduce materialthat has been produced in highly damaging ways.These regulations guarantee the preservation ofsites of special cultural, ecological, economic orreligious significance. Within its forest managementstandard, the FSC has developed a model for

participatory forest management that takes intoaccount the challenges faced by forest workersand small and community producers as well asrecognizing and respecting indigenous peoplesrights. It allows groups of forest owners to jointogether under a single FSC certificate and sharecosts. Similarly, the CoC standard takes intoaccount the different needs and resources ofsmall and large companies.

The FSC is also notable for its robustgovernance structure. It includes a GeneralAssembly with three chambers social,environmental and economic each of which

is divided into sub-chambers, North and South.It promotes comprehensive multi-stakeholderparticipation including: NGOs, indigenouspeoples associations, unions, academia,technical institutions, employees, certificationbodies, industry, wholesalers, retailers, traders,forestry companies, consumers and tradeassociations.

FSC has national initiatives in more than 50countries around the world. In their countriesthey work with relevant stakeholders like

NGOs to support the development of nationalstandards, and in particular to increase thecapacity of smallholders to secure certification.As of March 2011, 1,030 forest managingoperations were certified by FSC, covering atotal forest area of 141.14 million hectares in81 countries.

Source: FSC (2011a)


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executive summary

11

experiences in promoting SCP patterns around theworld, are required. The establishment of a 10-YearFramework of Programmes on SCP (10YFP), aselaborated at the 19th Session of the Commissionon Sustainable Development, would make a crucialcontribution in this regard.

The Global Outlook on SCP Policies is one stepforward in gathering information on SCP policiessupporting this transition. Building on thiseffort, as well as on the work achieved by the

Marrakech Process on SCP, UNEP will continueto collect good initiatives and practices on SCP.This will be done in close cooperation with allstakeholders and UN agencies, with the objectiveof sharing information and experience amongall regions and all actors. In the future, theseefforts could contribute to the establishmentof a more structured and dynamic globalclearinghouse on SCP, facilitating exchange ofinformation, knowledge on effective policies,and disseminating capacity-building tools. Sucha clearinghouse could play an important role in

We continue to welcome contributions at http://web2.unep.fr/globaloutlook/Login.aspx

The full report is available for download at http://www.unep.fr/scp/go/publications.htm

promoting dialogue, cooperation and partnershipsthat are needed to inspire and accelerate the shifttowards SCP patterns.

Decision-makers in all arenas are

encouraged to take action to:

Integrate SCP into policy frameworks andstrategic plans.

Ensure the collection of more SCP data tomeasure policy effectiveness and track progress.

Learn from experience to develop an optimalpolicy mix.

Provide enabling policy frameworks to encouragebusiness investments on SCP.

Adopt and apply alternative measures of progressbeyond GDP.

Give more emphasis to the demand side topromote sustainable lifestyles.

Enhance responsible marketing and mediathrough policies and campaigns.

Draw on and further develop partnerships amongall actors and regions.

Green business practices in China

and Viet Nam

TanTec produces leather goods for overseascompanies from tanneries located in China andViet Nam and has achieved significant costsavings by implementing energy-efficiency andwaste management practices. The key, accordingto the CEO, is to constantly innovate and look forbetter solutions. The company uses a combinationof existing in-house and external benchmarks,comparing them with the companys existingmanufacturing performance. Accordingly, the

Saigon TanTec uses on average only 33 MJ ofenergy per square metre of leather, comparedwith a leather industry standard of approximately52 MJ as calculated by the British LeatherTechnology Centre (Leather International, 2010).

The energy reductions have been achieved througha host of improvements, including: the installationof continuously controllable compressors andpumps, the retrofitting of dryers, the installationof energy-efficient re-tanning drums, and the shift

from oil to liquefied gas as a heating source.In addition, the factory has invested in energy-efficient lighting systems with light sensors andtimer control and is using translucent plasticpanels that allow sunlight to penetrate parts of

the roofs and walls. Bamboo walls also allowfor a natural ventilation of the factory. The useof reed grasses and wetland methods forwastewater management and post-purification, along with the useof solar thermal and windenergy, have been amongthe central measures.The company has nowachieved a 40 percent reduction of itsenergy consumption,

and has reduced CO2emissions by 2,700tons per year. Inaddition, TanTec hasreduced water andchemical consumptionby 50 per cent and 15per cent, respectively.

Source: Leather

International (2010)


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United Nations Environment Programme

P.O. Box 30552 Nairobi, 00100 Kenya

Tel: (254 20) 7621234Fax: (254 20) 7623927

E-mail: [email protected]: www.unep.org

For more information, contact:

UNEP DTIE

Sustainable Consumption and

Production Branch

15 rue de Milan

75441 Paris Cedex 09

France

Tel: +33 1 44 37 14 50

Fax: +33 1 44 37 14 74

Email: [email protected]

www.unep.fr/scp/

Life CyclePerspective

ProductDesign

Redu

ceRe-us

e

&Re

cycle

Consum

ption

&Use

Natural

ResourceU

se

&Extracti

on

Man

ufactu

ring

Distribution &Marketing

Disposal

Enabling

Policy Framework

Market Forces

Tech

nological

and

Soc

ialInnovation

Value

s

and

Lifestyles

The Global Outlook on Sustainable

Consumption and Production (SCP)

Policies, developed by the United

Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) with the fnancial support o

the European Commission, provides a

non-exhaustive review o government

policies and business and civil

society initiatives to shit towardsSCP patterns. Broad in scope and

worldwide in coverage, this Global

Outlookincludes a wide number o SCP

policies and initiatives, illustrated by

56 case studies ranging rom global

multilateral agreements and regional

strategies to specifc policies and

initiatives being implemented in all

regions. It also reviews policy tools

such as regulatory, economic, voluntary

and inormation-based instrumentswhile examining key economic sectors

including energy, transport and ood,

and integrated approaches such

as waste management. This report

provides inspiring inormation about

action and progress in promoting

SCP. It highlights best practices and

oers recommendations to scale

up and replicate these important

eorts around the world. The Global

Outlook on SCP Policies will contribute

to the dialogue and analysis in the

preparations or Rio+20.

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