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Africa Review Report on Sustainable Consumption and Production

Prof Toolseeram Ramjeawonramjeawon@yahoo.co.uk

Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the context of SIDS

Prof Toolseeram Ramjeawon, University of Mauritius

Regional Policy Briefing no.7 Mauritius, 23-24 April 2012

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Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline • Why/What is SCP?

• The context of SCP for SIDS

• Limitations of current strategies/Plans

• Key Recommendations

• Conclusions

Context for the Context for the 2121stst century century

humanity’s metabolism

Earth’s capacity<

The current scenario of C&P The current scenario of C&P

Use of natureUse of nature

Qualityof life(happiness)

Qualityof life(happiness)

EconomicgrowthEconomicgrowth

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Why do we need SCP?Why do we need SCP?

“The major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment are the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in industrialised countries, which is a matter of grave concern, aggravating poverty and imbalances.”

Agenda 21 (Chap. 4) PFIA 21 (Section 28) JPOI ( Chap III) Mauritius Strategy SIDS(Theme 15)

SCP as a lensSCP as a lens• The value of talking about production and

consumption is the ability to focus on , and address, the root causes of unsustainability.

• SCP takes a holistic, life cycle approach to the systems of production and consumption, starting from needs and values up to wastes.

• Practical implementation strategy to achieve Sustainable Development that requires wide stakeholder involvement

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What is SCP? What is SCP?

SCP is a vehicle for the Green Economy• Green Economy: An economy which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. Driven by demand and supply of environment friendly and environment enhancing products and services.

•Green Economy: ensure growth, decent jobs, improve well-being, eradicates poverty, while at the same time protect and improve state of the environment

•Green Economy is an economic system change, which makes it applicable to all countries at different stages of development

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Relevance of SCPRelevance of SCP/GE/GE for SIDSfor SIDS • SIDS are well positioned in the transition to SCPSCP / green

economy given their low-carbon profile and rich natural capital and cultural assets. Opportunity to “leapfrog” . No “lock-in” effect of the economies of developed countries-greater flexibility to adopt new approaches

• SIDS are inherently resource-constrained and have a higher commitment to sustainable living

• SCP helps SIDS to reduce their high levels of intrinsic vulnerabilities and contributes to reduce future costs and increase competitiveness

• SCP offers new opportunities for SIDS such as the creation of new markets, green and decent jobs(organic food, fair trade, sustainable tourism, renewable energy, fisheries, buildings....)

• Challenge for SIDS is to determine the kind of investment needed and the key target sectors to stimulate green growth

Status of SCP in SIDSStatus of SCP in SIDS• Impact and penetration of SCP activities is still very limited in

most SIDS. SCP is in progress….but still not enough to create national level impacts. On-going activities for SCP is still not sufficient for transition or leapfrogging

• Few examples for SC and capacity for promoting SC is far less developed than for SP.

• An attractive vision and the economic case is missing. There is a lack of ownership in society or the business sector.

• SCP initiatives are fragmented along sectoral and ministerial lines. No integrated and strategic approach.

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Limitations of Current plansLimitations of Current plans

• We know the priority sustainability problems very well

- Food, Mobility and Buildings cause 70-80% of environmental impacts

- We need reductions of a factor four or more

• But it is much more difficult to solve them

- We succeed in addressing production, but not consumption. Consumption growth outweighs efficiency gains, partly because of the rebound effect

- We succeed in making incremental changes, but not radical changes and system innovation.

Focusing sustainability initiatives solely on efficiency may be politically expedient in the short term, but improvements are

likely to be highly elusive over the longer term.

Efficiency ≠ Aggregate Reduction

The Delusion of Efficiency

Efficiency is a means; it is not an end.

Sufficiency and Sustainability

Sustainability is like a coin: There is the efficiency side and there is the

sufficiency side.

The next step in conceptualizing the challenges of sustainability will be to develop pragmatic ways to infuse

sufficiency into strategic thinking.

Where in the past we focused more on wealth, growth and efficiency, the future will need to be about well being, quality and sufficiency.

The problem is that we lack a language for talking intelligently about sufficiency.

Sufficiency and Sustainability

Green EconomyGreen Economy is also about is also about getting the economy rightgetting the economy right

Is Sustainable consumption possible in a market-capitalist economy?

Sustainable consumption may only be possible in a post-capitalist economy.

Post-capitalism is neither twentieth century socialism nor Chinese socialism – based in growth

It is necessary to think in somethingthat is apparently impossible, for discovering what is possible.

Capitalism Post-capitalism

Principle of production

for the accumulation of capital(getting maximum profit rate)

for life(meeting the material needs of all human beings)

Principle of distribution

of wealth (to each according to what he and the instruments he owns produces)

of wealth(to each according to his needs)

Principle of interchange

of wealth (killer competition to win market shares for capital accumulation)

of wealth(solidarity and planning according to scientific rationality)

Principle of consumption

ostentatious (induce needs to complete the process of capital accumulation)

moderate(provides limits on needs according to the biophysical limits of the planet)

PrinciplesPrinciples

How do we foster action? How do we foster action? ((We have to be so

convincing, that we can explain it to my mother’ (Anon.)

•What: What do want to achieve? A vision for SCP/Green Economy in SIDS….flourishing lives for all islanders

•Why : Why can’t we achieve it with business as usual? Why do we need to change direction? Economic case of action v/s inaction and for leapfrogging

•How : How can we change direction? Which sectors? What are the best policies/instruments? Who are the main actors?

•Proof: With what impact? Is there proof that such ideas work? Success cases ,dissemination ,Capacity Building

Dedicated SCP Programme but Integrated with existing national level strategies

National Development Plan

National Environment

Strategy(NES)

Water Policy

SCP Programme /

Action Plan or NSSD

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

Energy Policy

Health Policy

Climate Change Strategy

Agenda / Capacity 21

Population Policy

Education Policy

Forest Policy

Agricultural / Industrial Policy

National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP)

Transport Policy

Cleaner Production Strategy

Capacity building in effective SCP policies and instruments crucial

Critical processes for the success of a SCP programme are:

• the political process and the need of a strong political commitment from the top leadership

• the participatory process and the need to develop mechanisms for participation such as roundtables, workshops, public consultations and multi-stakeholder dialogues, and

• the resource mobilisation process from both domestic and international sources.

To develop an effective SCP programmeTo develop an effective SCP programme

1. Lead change that can be realized within existing structures and mindsets. Agreement on means and ends (short term)

-Cleaner Production, 3Rs, Energy Efficiency, Enforcement of standards, Internalization of external costs, building codes, Sustainable Procurement; CSR, Green Buildings, eco-labelling,etc

2. Shared sense of urgency, agreement on ends, means unclear: experiment and reflect from new niche concepts to find direction(medium term)

-Illustration projects on sustainable buildings/cities -Renewable energy technologies, mass-transport systems

3. Develop inspiring approaches that can foster change in the future that is not feasible now. Disagreement over means and ends: challenge paradigms(long term)

-Happiness indices -Going Beyond GDP initiatives -Prosperity without Growth

Make sustainable lifestyles desirableMake sustainable lifestyles desirable• Most definitions of sustainable lifestyles(SL) talks

about minimizing environmental impact, resources efficiency and helping people interact with the community and places in which they live. However , people will only change their lifestyle in exchange for a better one. So we have to make SL attractive and desirable. It’s more than savings on energy and water bills-it is also about happiness, social relations,health and quality time

• People living SL (cycling, vegetarian diet, ..) are often healthier, sleep better, are connected with their communities and families, etc. Focus on social desirability as much as on environmental issues.

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To sum upTo sum up• SCP provides an ideal framework for achieving development

goals in SIDS. Help to manage energy, food and water crises and build Green Economies.

• The vulnerabilities of SIDS adds a new dimension to the SCP challenges. The same vulnerabilities providing a significant opportunity to leapfrog to more resource efficient economies and sustainable resource use. However need legs to be able to leapfrog!

• Lessons learnt from pilots will help in sectoral policy and strategy review and ultimately in mainstreaming SCP in national policies/strategies. A new governance model is needed. Role of Government to be changed to one of “change management”, encouraging learning and experimentation

ConclusionConclusion• Shaping a sustainable society, not a sustainable

consumer- SCP should be acknowledged by policy makers as a policy field in its own right, mainstreamed into all policy areas as a means of implementing SD objectives. SCP should be embedded in an appropriate institutional framework and needs to built from the national level . Its success will depend on the level of ownership from all stakeholders .

• In SIDS, more emphasis in the short term on creating the physical infrastructure to make sustainable behaviour easier.

• Rio+20 Summit - crucial opportunity to put the world back on the path towards sustainable development .Need to ensure tangible action on SCP at Rio for 2020 and beyond... …

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Thank youThank you for your for your attentionattention! !