The Environment for Europe process

EfE themes: Sustainable consumption and production

Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is a rather new focus area of the Environment for Europe Process. Paragraph 27 and 28 of the Kiev Ministerial Declaration stressed the importance of progress with SCP in Europe, responding also to relevant provisions in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), which called for 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 patterns that will promote social and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems". The so-called Marrakech process was initiated as an implementation of JPOI by UNEP and UNDESA at the international level to coordinate activities in support of regional and national initiatives for the 10-year framework of programmes.

Within the Environment for Europe process, UNEP in collaboration with the European Environment Agency prepared a report on Sustainable Consumption and Production in SEE and EECCA. This report includes chapters on the following subjects (view report):

• Sustainable Industrial Production
• Transport
• Building
• Food
• Waste
• Sustainable Public Procurement

According to paragraph 24 of the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration, UNEP will take the lead in developing a pan-European SCP initiative within the Marrakech process:

"We call for development of national programmes, strategies and implementation plans, subregional and regional partnerships, involving stakeholders, in order to promote sustainable use of resources and sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns with regard to, where appropriate, the delinking of economic growth and environmental degradation through improving efficiency and sustainability in the use of resources and production processes and reducing resource degradation, pollution and waste, and to reduce negative environmental and social impacts. We support the inclusion of the 10-year framework of programmes on SCP patterns within the CSD working cycle, the implementation and follow-up of sustainable consumption and production, by disseminating best practices and promoting the work by cleaner production centres and the Regional Environmental Centres (RECs), and the need to consider the development of a pan-European initiative within the Marrakech process involving partners other than the UNECE and, therefore, invite the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to explore this proposal as part of its SCP work."

Documents related to SCP discussed at the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference

The following documents related to sustainable consumption and production have been submitted to the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference:

• Sustainable Consumption and Production (submitted by: Sweden as one of the lead countries in cooperation with UNEP). View document: ENG, FRE, RUS.
• Sustainable Consumption and Production in South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (submitted by: UNEP and European Environment Agency). View report.
• Sustainable Consumption and Production in South-Eastern Europe (submitted by: Croatia).  View document: ENG.
• Europe's Environment: the Fourth Assessment (submitted by: European Environment Agency). View document: ENG/FRE/RUS.
• Critical Issues in Implementation of Environmental Policies Highlighted by the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews Programme (submitted by: UNECE). View document: ENG/add./Corr., FRE/add., RUS/add.
• Policies for a Better Environment - Progress in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (submitted by: EAP Task Force). View document: view report or view summary for policy makers.
• Integrating Environment in Key Economic Sectors in Europe and Central Asia (submitted by: the World Bank). View document: ENG.
• Integrating Environment into Agriculture and Forestry: Progress and Prospects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (submitted by: the World Bank). View document: ENG.
• Central Asian Initiative on Sustainable Development: Progress and Prospects. View document: ENG, FRE, RUS.
• Progress Report on Partnerships in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (submitted by: EAP Task Force).  View document: ENG, RUS.
• Environmental Policy in South-Eastern Europe (submitted by: UNDP).  View document: ENG.
• Environmental Policy and International Competitiveness in a Globalizing World: Challenges for Low-Income Countries in the UNECE Region (submitted by: UNECE). View document: ENG, FRE, RUS.

Last update of this page: 17 April, 2008.