Sustainable Consumption & Production
Sustainable consumption and production, as defined by the Oslo Symposium in 1994, refers to “the use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations.” Humans are currently consuming more resources than ever, exceeding the planet’s capacity for generation. In the meantime, waste and pollution grow, and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Thus, sustainable consumption and production is about doing more and better with less. It is about systemic change, decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, and applying a life cycle thinking approach.
Events and Articles
Showing 21 - 30 of 74 results
Moving Beyond GDP: The Case for Wealth as a Core Measure of National Progress
With growing calls to move beyond GDP as a measure of national progress, the International Institute for Sustainable Development convened a seminar to explore the adoption of an inclusive wealth index.
4th Global Session of the of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment (UN-SPBF 2022)
Faced with the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, participants addressed a range of issues dealing with multilateralism, including climate change, and future economic frameworks, before turning to issues that affect the daily fabric of our lives—technology, fashion, and supply chains. Leaders also shared share their vision for Stockholm+100.
Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group to Prepare for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to End Plastic Pollution
Governments took the first steps toward a new international treaty on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, as they set out the schedule of negotiations and rules of procedure, and convened multi-stakeholder dialogues on the scope of the plastics pollution problem.
Stockholm+50 Weaving Global Environmental Governance
The Stockholm Conference in 1972 created the framework that still guides how countries negotiate environmental deals. How do we fulfill its vision?
Moving Beyond GDP: The Case for Wealth as a Core Measure of National Progress
Despite its frequent use as the main measure of progress, GDP fails to account for health, happiness, inequality, and environmental sustainability. An expert panel explored how a focus on wealth could inform policymaking in Africa—and how to make the shift.
UNEA's Role as a Governance Architect
Once called “the world’s parliament on the environment,” the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) has a unique role in global environmental governance. It is high-level and universal—the only forum for stakeholders from all countries to discuss the environmental challenges we face.
Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and Summit
The event aimed to answer what role the four Visegrád countries—the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia—can play on climate change, water security, sustainable transport, and the circular economy.
17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF)
The mining sector must reposition itself to supply minerals critical to the global energy transition while ensuring they are extracted and traded in a responsible manner.
Inaugural Regional Session of the UNEP Science-Policy-Business Forum for Asia and the Pacific (AP-SPBF 2021)
Sessions focused on key learning on how the Asia-Pacific region can bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the impacts of climate-related disasters.
Satoyama Initiative: Healthy Planet, Healthy People
This HLPF side event shared how the Satoyama Initiative teaches that living in harmony with nature requires communities to consider issues of biodiversity, climate change, and zoonotics simultaneously.