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UNITED NATIONS
2nd International Expert Meeting on a 10-Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production:
As contained in Chapter III of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
5 - 8 September 2005 | San José, Costa Rica
DESA/DSD
Daily Web Coverage
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Summary report HTML PDF TEXT
11 September 2005

Highlights from Tuesday, 6 September 2005

On Tuesday, 6 September, experts participated in five working groups addressing Production Processes and Industrial Development, Urban Planning and Waste Management, Sustainable Consumption and Product Development, National and Regional Strategies for SCP, and Energy, Climate and Air Pollution.
 

Working Group I - Production Processes and Industrial Development


Opening the meeting, Co-Chair Olivia la O’Castillo, Philippines, said government policies should be clear and stable, and emphasized the importance of focusing on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Co-Chair Edwin Piñero, US, said governments should lead by example, noting the economic significance of public procurement.

Participants shared lessons from their experience reporting that, inter alia: in a successful scheme in Argentina, large companies mentor SMEs in return for tax credits; Australia’s success with reducing CFCs through an industry-driven voluntary levy on HCFCs was adopted by Canada; in the US, the ‘Energy Star’ initiative, which encourages energy-efficient products through labeling, produced $10 billion in energy savings last year; Nicaragua has developed a series of seminars to show how SCP can increase private profit; Australia’s “extended producer responsibility” approach, managing product life cycle, has been adopted by others; NGOs in Kenya have developed an award to encourage corporate social responsibility; in Austria and Germany, chemical suppliers and producers redefined their relationship so that profits depended on eco-efficiency, avoiding the perverse incentives whereby raw material suppliers and waste material disposers increase profits by increasing waste.

In the afternoon, the keynote presentation was given by Maryna Möhr-Swart, Chamber of Mines of South Africa, who outlined how South Africa’s mining industry is attempting to incorporate sustainable development practices. She gave examples of partnerships and voluntary codes adopted by the industry, and highlighted the mining industry's leading role in environmental management accounting in South Africa, expressing hope that it may eventually contribute to the national resource accounts.
 

 
Edwin Piñero, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, United States
 
 
Olivia la O'Castillo, Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP), Philippines
 
Maryna Möhr-Swart, Chamber of Mines of South Africa
 
 
James Riordan, Environment Canada

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Working Group II - Urban Planning and Waste Management


This group was co-chaired by Cristina Cortinas de Navas, Mexico, and Kazuyoshi Okazawa, Japan

 

         
 
Kazuyoshi Okazawa, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
 
Co-chair Kazuyoshi Okazawa, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, discussed “Promotion of the 3R Initiative and the Challenge in Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society”.
 
 
Cristina Cortinas de Navas, Mexico
 

Co-Chair Cortinas discussed waste management and its relation to other policies, and outlined the recently enacted waste prevention and integral management law in Mexico.

 
Danny Epstein, Canada, highlighted activities in developed countries to produce cleaner vehicles, and said we need more market research to understand consumer choices

 
 
Brian Williams, UN-Habitat, made a presentation on “Sustainable Consumption Patterns in Urban Transport in Developing Countries,” and stressed the importance of transport in determining the healthy functioning of cities
 
   

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Working Group III - Sustainable Consumption and Product Development


This group was co-chaired by Paul Hofseth, Norway, and Kenneth Nkowani, Zambia

Considering priorities for action, participants reported on studies of consumer spending which consistently showed that food, household energy and transport account for most spending and focusing efforts on these could have profound environmental impacts. A participant emphasized the significance of SMEs. One participant described the problems of multiple product standards and regulations for industry and another recommended focusing on undeveloped industries to design internationally harmonized standards. Several emphasized the potential for leapfrogging.
 

 
Co-Chair, Paul Hofseth, Ministry of the Environment of Norway
 
Co-Chair Kenneth Nkowani, Zambia
 
 
 

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Working Group IV - Regional and National Strategies for SCP


Terence Hott, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), UK and Philip Acquah, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana, co-chaired the working group on regional and national strategies for SCP. Issues discussed included SCP-specific strategies, integration of SCP into other strategies, inter-agency coordination, multi-stakeholder participation, international implications of strategies, and implications of globalization

 

 
Co-Chair Terence Ilott, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), United Kingdom

Co-Chair Philip Acquah, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana

 
 
Kari Raivio, University of Helsinki
 
 

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Working Group V -
Energy, Climate and Air Pollution


This Working Group was Co-chaired by Elfriede-Anna More, Austria, and David Barrett, Jamaica. Experts listened to two keynote presentations and engaged in two discussion sessions.
 

         
Co-Chair Elfriede-Anna More, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Austria
 
Ralph Chipman, UN DESA

 
         
 
Co-Chair David Barrett, Jamaica, Manager, Energy and Environment, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica
     

David Barrett, Energy and Environment, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, elaborated on Jamaica’s energy system and its options for sustainable practices. He said in order to transition from conventional to sustainable production practices there must be an internal catalyst and dedicated funding, as well as local involvement and interest. Barrett stressed that sustainability is long term and thinking should not be limited by current technology.

     
 
Fernando Alvarado, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
     

Fernando Alvarado and Carlos Roldán, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, described their country’s energy situation. He explained experiences with, inter alia: energy labeling for appliances; vehicle standards; ethanol use; private sector involvement in power generation; biomass use; and a project to use excess hydropower to generate hydrogen and oxygen. He also described problems, such as lack of enforcing capabilities and a public sector with decreasing funding and increasing responsibilities.

     

Cooperation dialogue sessions
 

Kathleen Abdullah, UN DESA
 
 

UN DESA explained that it implements projects but is not a donor agency. She outlined several projects, including promotion of energy efficiency standards and labeling in developing countries, solar water heating, and building capacity for renewable energy entrepreneurs.

 
Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI), Spain
 
 

The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) highlighted goals, principles, priorities, and how AECI cooperates with recipient governments.

 

Sherif Arif, World Bank
 
     

Around the meeting
 

 

   

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Daily web coverage: 5 September - 6 September - 7 September - 8 September
 
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