Linking SCP Policy to Local Action

1
Linking SCP Policy to Local Action

• How does local action link to, learn from and
  inform policy work?
• Chris Church
• Co-Chair ANPED
• Director, CEA
• June 2009

2
Sustainable Consumption and Production why is
this an issue?

• The need to focus on Sustainable Consumption and
  Production has been with us for nearly 20 years.
• The Agenda 21 document from the 1992 UN Earth
  Summit stresses that this is an issue for all
  unsustainable consumption and production is the
  major cause of continuing global environmental
  deterioration, especially in richer high
  consuming nations

3
So what do we mean by this term?

• Sustainable Production and Consumption (SPAC) is
  the use of goods and services that respond to
  basic needs and bring a better quality of life,
  while minimizing the use of natural resources,
  toxic materials and emissions of waste and
  pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to
  jeopardize the needs of future generations.Sympos
  ium Sustainable Consumption. Oslo, Norway 19-20
  January 1994.

4
Or..

• "Sustainable production and consumption involves
  business, government, communities and households
  contributing to environmental quality through the
  efficient production and use of natural
  resources, the minimization of wastes, and the
  optimization of products and services." Edwin G.
  Falkman, WBCSD
• OR"Use Less"
• OR
• "Treating the world as if you intended to stay

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SPAC and SCP?

• At the start of this work it was common to refers
  to Sustainable Production and Consumption (SPAC)
  putting the emphasis on the need to change
  production and producers
• UNEP and the EU have more recently focused on
  Sustainable Consumption and Production, SCP,
  There is more of a focus on market-oriented work
  and the role of consumers
• Some feel that this shift has not been a good
  idea.
• What do you think?

6
Strong and Weak sustainable consumption

• Two approaches to Sustainable Consumption
• 1 Choosing products and services that either are
  less resource consuming, or less burdening for
  the environment, or less destructive for those
  people actually producing them (fair trade
  aspects). Weak Sustainable Consumption.
• 2. Reduce levels of consumption. Problematic
  biut this will be necessary to avoid serious
  problems for the Earth and its inhabitants.
  Strong Sustainable Consumption.(From work by
  Sylvia Lorek)

7
The Policy Framework globally

• The main international political process on SPAC
  the Marrakech process.
• Activities and procedures involved in giving 
  effect to the "10 year framework of programmes on
  sustainable consumption and production
• First meeting in Marrakech, Morocco in June 2003.
  The Marrakech Process currently consists of
  international and regional "expert" meetings on
  sustainable consumption and production being held
  throughout the world.

8
The national framework

• Paragraph 15 of the Johannesburg Plan of
  Implementation (from the World Summit on
  Sustainable Development (WSSD)) holds that the
  States must"Encourage and promote the
  development of a 10-year framework of programmes
  in support of regional and national initiatives
  to accelerate the shift towards sustainable
  consumption and production
• Few countries have done this yet

9
Another angle the Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD)

• Sustainable production and consumption is one of
  the crosscutting issues of the agenda of the
  Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) .
• The CSD will consider the 10-Year framework of
  programmes on sustainable production and
  consumption as one of the themes in the 2010/2011
  cycle of its multiyear programme of work.
  http//www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sdissues/consumption
  /Marrakech/conprod10Y.htm

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Delivering change

• Bringing about changes in production processes,
  resource consumption or household consumption,
  needs effective actions, appropriate concepts and
  tools.
• The following are essential instruments to
  achieve sustainable consumption and production
• Ecological fiscal reform
• Clean and eco-effective production
• Corporate responsibility and accountability
• Education for sustainable consumption and
  production
• Information and public participation for
  sustainable consumption and production

11
The climate change links

• The worlds scientists overwhelmingly agree that
  we need to cut carbon emissions by 80 by 2050
• If we fail to do so
• Recent observations confirm that the worst-case
  IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are
  being realised.
• A 2 4o rise will cause huge damage to human
  society and ecosystems, with 100s of millions
  neededing to move
• 80 cuts will mean huge changes in how we consume
  and produce everything
• A wide range of benefits will flow from a
  concerted effort to alter our energy economy now.
• A low carbon society will be a focus for
  innovation.

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In summary - Four key overview messages

• Unsustainable production and consumption is the
  major cause of environmental and social
  degradation
• SCP is one of the three overarching objectives of
  Sustainable Development (It is part of the
  definition of sustainable development).
• SCP is not about reducing peoples standard of
  living, but improving everyones quality of life
• SCP provides a framework of solutions for todays
  major global problems

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So where does local action come in?

• Local action can be individual or collective
• Collective action may involve NGOs, public
  sector, small businesses, other cicil society
  groups (faiths, sports clubs, local residents
  groups etc.)
• Much local action has been focused on behaviour
  change but there is more that can be achieved
  locally.

14
Delivering sustainable change

• Lasting change requires
• Strong policy
• Effective infrastructure
• High levels of engagement
• Local action can help with all these

15
Strong policy

• Individuals can have some impact, but groups /
  organisations are more effective. Work can
  include
• Advocacy, lobbying and campaigning on specific
  issues (e.g. polluting industries, waste
  treatment, water supplies, food quality etc.)
  around unsustainable CP
• Advocacy for policies to support eco-innovation
  (e.g.organic / local food, fair trade, energy
  efficiency
• Encouraging / challenging local government to
  develop plans and strategies (e.g. around energy
  and carbon emissions)
• Working nationally to influence and monitor
  national SCP action plans
• Ensuring that all legislation is
  climateproofed (i.e. ot help reduce emissions)

16
Effective infrastructure

• We need infrastructure that helps people lead
  low-carbon, environmentally-friendly lives.
• Much of that can be developed and delivered at a
  local level, through projects on
• Energy-saving in homes
• Local renewable energy schemes
• Water and sanitation schemes
• Food and healthy eating work
• Local transport (including cycling and walking)
• Local action by civil society can often move more
  rapidly that government programmes and creeate
  jobs etc.

17
High levels of engagement

• Engagement involves building awareness, but also
  getting those aware people active and engaged.
  This work can take place at various levels
• Basic educational work on issues around the
  environmental and health impacts of the consumer
  choices that people will make
• Work with existing community organisations to
  roll out and expand programmes
• Encourage local governments to adopt policies and
  practices that will support moves to sustainable
  production and consumption
• Make clear the links between SCP policies and
  practical work on issues such as Food, Water,
  Energy, Transport
• Show how that local and national work has an
  impact on global targets and help each other to
  maximise our impacts
• Share news and information about what is
  happening nationally and regionally

18
Targetting local action

• Local action on SCP (and other issues) needs to
  be focused
• The right message in the right place at the right
  time for a specific audience.
• This brings in issues of social marketing and
  segmentation.

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Segmentation in the UK

• 1 Positive greens 18 of the population (7.6
  million)we need to do things differently to
  tackle climate change
• 2 Waste watchers 12 of the population (5.1
  million) waste not, want not thats important
• 3 Concerned consumers 14 of the population
  (5.7 million) I think I do more than a lot of
  people.
• 4 Sideline supporters 14 of the population
  (5.6 million)
• I dont think much about electricity I use..Id
  like to do a bit more
• 5 Cautious participants 14 of the population
  (5.6 million)
• I do a couple of things to help the
  environment.
• 6 Stalled starters 10 of the population (4.1
  million)
• I dont know much about climate change.
• 7 Honestly disengaged 18 of the population
  (7.4 million)
• Maybe therell be an environmental disaster,
  maybe not. Makes no difference to me
• All these groups will be present to some degree
  in any Western society

20
Adding value

• A common question is does local action really
  make a difference?
• This can be considered in terms of
• What are the alternatives?' and would they work
  better?)
• What is the added value?
• What are the additional benefits?
• Our research (Thinking locally, acting
  nationally- lessons for national policy from work
  on local sustainability) suggests some clear
  benefits.

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The benefits of local action

• Effective local action can deliver
• Practical improvements to meet local needs
• Innovative work on new issues around consumption
• More individuals getting engaged
• Achievement of local targets that support
  national goals
• Evidence of what does and does not work.

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Longer term action

• The challenges
• How do we tackle the need for strong sustainable
  consumption?
• How do we engage with communities that are not
  active?
• Many local issues are outside peoples own
  control how do we build skills and capacity to
  help people understand and engage with these
  issues?