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Wednesday 18 | On Wednesday morning and afternoon, 18 June, participants continued discussion in the four parallel working groups, addressing sustainable consumption and production as it relates to: urban management and transportation; general policy instruments and analytical tools; tools for changing consumer behavior; and tools for changing production patterns.

Working Group II on general policy instruments and analytical tools for sustainable consumption and production highlighted the importance of, inter alia: a combination of different instruments to achieve sustainable consumption and production; social and economic institutions at the domestic level; combining sustainable consumption and production strategy with national government's priorities and needs; capacity building and financial resources.

Working Group III on tools for changing consumer behavior pointed out some important elements to promote sustainable consumption patterns, such as: information tools; eco-labeling; formal and informal education; media and TV programmes; UN Guidelines for Consumption; successful experiences on designing eco-labeling; existing standards; stakeholder participation; institutional capacity; the needs and priorities of developing countries, especially capacity building; and WTO considerations relating to eco-labeling and sustainable consumption.
 

	(From left to right): Bernard Mazijn (Belgium) and Alf Wills (South Africa), Working Group I Co-chairs, and Cathy Ganzleben (ENB) finish writing the working group's summary on urban management and transportation.

Links to further information |

More information on this meeting is available from the UN Division for Sustainable Development: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev 
Further background information on consumption and production patterns is available at: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sdissues/consumption/conprod.htm
Information on the recent regional meetings is available from UNEP's Technology, Industry and Economics Division's website: http://www.uneptie.org/sustain
Chapter Three of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, which addresses unsustainable patterns of consumption and production and was the catalyst for this Expert Meeting, can be viewed online at: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POIChapter3.htm
Agenda 21, Chapter Four – Changing Consumption Patterns is online at: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21chapter4.htm The Earth Negotiations Bulletin reports on international negotiations addressing consumption and production, from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 through to the Johannesburg Summit in 2002 and the most recent session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/process/sustdevt.htm