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Overview of Issue and On-line Resources: Sustainable Production and Consumption

This Collection

The International Institute for Sustainable Development presents a collection of documentation and links to relevant material on the issue of sustainable production and consumption. This initiative is in support of Agenda 21, which states:

Agenda 21, Chapter 4: In order to support this broad strategy, Governments, and/or private research and policy institutes, with the assistance of regional and international economic and environmental organizations, should make a concerted effort to expand or promote databases on production and consumption and develop methodologies for analyzing them.

Issue Definition

Agenda 21 states that: the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries, which is a mater of grave concern, aggravating poverty and imbalances" (Chapter4.3)

The Soria Moria Conference (February 1994) proposed a working definition of sustainable consumption as, "the use of goods and services that respond to basic needs and brig a better quality of life while minimising the sue of natural resources, toxic mater ials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardise the needs of future generations."

The issue of sustainable production and consumption has been the subject of considerable interest since the conclusion of the Earth Summit in June 1992. Particular impetus to these discussions has been the two sessions hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment in 1994 and 1995.

ON-LINE LIBRARY

  • 1995 Oslo Roundtable

  • The Alliance of Northern People for Environment and Development
    Working Group on Changing Consumption and Production Patterns

  • Instrument to Promote Sustainable Consumption and Production Seminar

  • Steps Towards Sustainable Consumption - A presentation of selected Norwegian initatives Compiled by William M. Lafferty

  • An Ounce of Prevention The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) source reduction curriculum. It's designed for middle schools, and covers lessons addressing trash generation, packaging, household hazardous waste, Life Cycle Analysis, and many others.

    The curriculum can be downloaded in PDF format here , and is also available in either hard copy or disk version (specify Mac or PC) by writing to: An Ounce of Prevention, Campaign #2714, P.O. Box 1206, Midland, MI 48641-9823. Include your name, address, school, grade and choice of hard copy or disk version.

United Nations Documents

  • Earth Negotitions Bulletin Coverage of the CSD Meetings on Consumption

GOVERNMENT

  • Elements for an International Work Programme on Sustainable Production and Consumption

ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS

ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY

END-USE STRATEGIES

  • Elements for an International Work Programme on Sustainable Production and Consumption
    2.1 - Civil Society

BUSINESS AND LABOUR

  • Elements for an International Work Programme on Sustainable Production and Consumption
    2.2 - Labour

  • Elements for an International Work Programme on Sustainable Production and Consumption
    2.3 - Business

COUNTRY REPORTS

  • Eco-labeled products in Germany
    Based on RAL, Deutsches Institut fuer Guetesicherung
    und Kennzeichung e.V., Sankt Augustin, Germany
    George Papastefanou
    Center for Social Research and Methodology
    ZUMA, Mannheim, Germany