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Trends SCP Cover TITLE Trends in Sustainable Development – Towards Sustainable Consumption and Production 2010-2011
DATE April 2010
FOREWORD ...In short, we must find pathways which simultaneously achieve upward convergence of living standards (completing the development transition) and downward convergence of resource use and environmental impacts (the decoupling transition).

This volume reviews progress towards achieving these interlinked challenges, focusing first on broad trends in resource use, then turning to drivers of resource depletion and environmental degradation, and finally examining the major initiatives of governments, business and civil society to shift towards sustainable consumption and production patterns.....

Cover TITLE Checked Out: Are European supermarkets living up to their responsibilities for labour conditions in the developing world?
DATE Mar 2010

Cover TITLE Sustainable Development Innovation Briefs :: Issue 9
Buildings and construction as tools for promoting more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
DATE Mar 2010

NRF cover TITLE Natural Resources Forum (NRF)
 

TITLE World Economic and Social Survey 2009:
Promoting Development, Saving the Planet
DATE September 2009
  The World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) provides objective analysis of pressing long-term social and economic development issues, and discusses the positive and negative impact of corresponding policies. The analyses are supported by analytical research and data included in the annex.

Cover TITLE Sustainable Development Innovation Briefs :: Issue 6
Using non-renewable resource revenues for sustainable local development
DATE Oct 2008

Cover TITLE Sustainable Development Innovation Briefs :: Issue 5
Public Procurement as a tool for promoting more Sustainable Consumption and Production patterns
DATE Aug 2008

Cover TITLE Sustainable Development Innovation Briefs :: Issue 3
Agro-based industries and growth: prospects for Sub-Saharan Africa
DATE Jul 2007

TITLE SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Promoting Climate-Friendly Household Consumption Patterns
[pdf 224 KB]
DATE 30 April 2007

CONTENTS
  1. Introduction .................................................................. 3
  2. The role of households in energy consumption .................. 3
  3. Elements of household energy consumption ...................... 7
    (a) Overview
    (b) Space heating and hot water
    (c) Appliances and lighting
    (d) Transportation
    (e) Food
  4. Policy considerations ..................................................... 24
    (a) Taxes
    (b) Subsidies
    (c) The rebound effect
    (d) Cooperation with the private sector and civil society
    (e) Innovative approaches
  5. References .................................................................. 30

Publications related to the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production: The Marrakech Process

Cover TITLE Sustainable Consumption and Production:
Energy & Industry
[478 KB]
CSD-14 BACKGROUND PAPER NO. 3
DATE May 2006
 

TITLE Changing Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption & Production:
Human Settlements & Water

CSD-13 Background Paper No. 4 [367 kb]
DATE April 2005
CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................3
II. HUMAN SETTLEMENTS...................................................................4
    1. Urban planning............................................................4
    2. Urban transportation....................................................5
    3. Solid waste management and recycling..........................10
    4. Sustainable construction, building management and
    household energy...........................................................16
III. URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL WATER CONSERVATION..........................20
    1. Water conservation.....................................................20
    2. Wastewater treatment and reuse..................................23
IV. CONCLUSION............................................................................24
Notes............................................................................................25

TITLE Changing Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption & Production:
Experiences in Human Settlements & Water

CSD-12 Background Paper No. 11 [80 kb]
DATE April 2004
INTRO
excerpt:
The Johannesburg Summit noted that fundamental changes in the way societies produce and consume are indispensable for achieving global sustainable development. It agreed that all countries should promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, with the developed countries taking the lead and with all countries benefiting from the process. For this purpose, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) called for the development of a 10-year framework of programmes in support of national and regional initiatives to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production to promote social and economic development

TITLE United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection [pdf 262 KB]
(as expanded in 1999)
عربي | 中文 | English | Français | Русский | Español
DATE 2003

Objectives

excerpt:
  1. To assist countries in achieving or maintaining adequate protection for their population as consumers;
  2. To facilitate production and distribution patterns responsive to the needs and desires of consumers;
  3. To encourage high levels of ethic al conduct for those engaged in the production and distribution of goods and services to consumers;
  4. To assist countries in curbing abusive business practices by all enterprises at the national and international levels which adversely affect consumers;
  5. To facilitate the development of independent consumer groups;
  6. To further international cooperation in the field of consumer protection;
  7. To encourage the development of market conditions which provide consumers with greater choice at lower prices;
  8. To promote sustainable consumption.

TITLE Promoting Sustainable Production and Consumption: Five Policy Studies
DESA Discussion Paper No. 7 (ST/ESA/1999/DP.7) [pdf 88 KB]
DATE April 1999
ABSTRACT Policy development for promoting sustainable production and consumption has focused in recent years on economic instruments, such as environmental taxes and emission trading systems, often integrated into regulatory regimes. Regulations can ensure that policy objectives are met, while economic incentives can reduce the costs of meeting objectives, generate revenues to facilitate cleaner production and social development, and build political support for the policies. The policy studies include:
- Acid rain reduction (United States);
- Leaded gasoline phase-out (Slovakia, United States);
- Palm oil effluent reduction (Malaysia);
- Tradable carbon offset instruments (Costa Rica);
- Tradable water rights (Chile).

TITLE Trends in Consumption and Production: Household Energy Consumption
DESA Discussion Paper No. 6 (ST/ESA/1999/DP.6) [pdf 235 KB]
DATE April 1999
ABSTRACT The household sector accounts for 15 to 25 per cent of primary energy use in developed countries and a higher share in developing countries. A huge gap remains between household energy use in developed and developing countries. Increase in energy-based living standards and more efficient energy use are major opposing trends in developed countries that affect household energy consumption. Diffusion of energy efficient technologies for cooking, heating, lighting, electrical appliances, and building insulation in developing countries has been slow. Governmental policies to influence household energy consumption are often contradictory and have brought mixed results.

TITLE Trends in Consumption and Production: Selected Minerals
DESA Discussion Paper No. 5 (ST/ESA/1999/DP.5) [pdf 98 KB]
DATE March 1999
ABSTRACT Global production of aluminium and copper has steadily increased over recent decades, while lead production has been fairly stable. Recycling has also been increasing, reducing the growth rate of primary production of aluminium and copper, and reducing primary production of lead. Despite depletion of the richest ores and a shift to less concentrated ores, advances in mining technologies have lead to generally declining, though fluctuating, metal prices. Supplies of these metals are sustainable for the foreseeable future. Sustainable development issues relate rather to energy consumption, revenue reductions for exporting countries, and health and environmental impacts.

TITLE Measuring Changes in Consumption and Production Patterns [HTML]
DATE April 1998
FOREWORD
excerpt:
Indicators are essential tools for policy making, and since the publication of the Brundlandt report in 1987, policy makers and analysts have been trying to capture the concept of sustainable development in statistics. National policy makers around the world are trying to identify a set of indicators that would "indicate" the nation's prosperity, well-being and sustainability. Traditionally, the primary indicator for welfare and well-being is gross domestic product, in spite of general recognition that it has serious flaws.

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) has established an international work program on indicators for sustainable development. An important element of this program is the identification of a core set of indicators for "changing consumption and production patterns" (Chapter 4 of Agenda 21). The set proposed in this report is provisional because it needs national testing, evaluation and further discussion, including discussion about what additional information should be available to policy makers and the general public concerning progress towards sustainability...