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A Framework for Indicator-based report ing on Sustainable Consumption andProduction

The European Environment Agency (EEA) and its European Topic Centre on SCP has developed anindicator framework for reporting on progress towards SCP at European and national level. The approachincludes a number of innovations which are new to the field of SCP indicator development:

the inclusion of an SCP Vision at the core of the framework. This is used to guide both the initialselection of indicators but also provides impetus to the development of better indicators in the future.

the development of a set of policy questions, based on the vision, to which the indicator set shouldattempt to provide the answers.

the integration of indicator communication and evaluation directly into the framework. The EEAindicator framework links policy questions and indicators to form narratives to better communicate

progress in SCP.

A Vision of SCP

The Vision has been developed following a review of definitions of, and policy statements on, SCP as theyappear in key international and European policy and strategy documents on SCP. These were synthesisedand further developed into a vision taking into account the perspective and mandate of the EEA.

Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) can be considered as the practical means by which societyand economies can be re-aligned so that we achieve the key goals of sustainable development (EuropeanCouncil, 2007; UNCSD, 2002).

The overriding goal of sustainable development is to improve the quality of human life while living within the

carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems (IUCN et al, 1991) and to meet the needs of the presentgeneration without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (EuropeanCouncil, 2006).

Other relevant principles of sustainable development include: accepting responsibility at the local level forglobal social development; increasing equity in well-being within and between societies; ensuring a moreequal access to services and a fairer distribution of the environmental and health impacts resulting from ouractivities.

These can be developed into specific SCP principles for Europe:

Europe should reduce absolute levels of renewable and non-renewable resource use, and outputs ofkey emissions and wastes associated with its consumption and production while maintaining or

improving the well-being of its citizens (UK Government, 2005).

Following on from the principle of distributional equity (Harris, 2001), European countries should takea share in responsibility for ensuring that all global citizens have access to basic needs. They shouldencourage fairer distribution of environmental, social and economic impacts of consumption andproduction between different societies and within those societies.

European countries should take responsibility for, and reduce, the negative impacts of theirconsumption and the global value chains its consumption activates, on environment, health and well-being in other regions of the world (European Commission, 2008b; UK Government, 2005).

Where thresholds of renewable resources and limits in absorption capacity of the global biosphereare understood, European per capita resource use and emissions should be benchmarked against aglobal equitable fair share i.e. global threshold limits divided by global population.

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Europe should aim for production processeswhich minimise material and energy inputs andminimise outputs of emissions and unusable or damaging wastes; productswhich require lowenergy input during their use phase and which are designed for reuse, repair or recyclability and

make use of more environmentally friendly materials (UNCSD, 2002); and lifestyles andconsumption patternswith reduced direct and indirect environmental pressures and which favourproducts and services with low lifecycle impacts, reduced energy use, resource use and reducedproduction of hazardous wastes (UNCSD, 2002).

Key Concept:SCP is considered in this Vision as encompassing boththe goals included above and thesetting up of the framework conditions that will ensure their achievement. These framework conditions needto address the underlying drivers of unsustainable consumption and production patterns:

The integration of sustainability thinking into all policy development(UNCSD, 2002; UNEP,2004) and in particular in policy areas with particular relevance to SCP: transport, energy, urbanplanning, agriculture, foreign aid and education. The application of life-cycle and holistic thinking topolicy assessment (UNEP and EEA, 2007). Promoting SCP globally at government level andthrough support of SMEs towards greater sustainability in developing and transition countries(UNEP, 2004).

Encouragement and enforcement of reductions in resource and emissions intensity ofconsumption and production through both regulation and through economic measures andincentives (UNEP, 2004; UK Government, 2005; European Council, 2008).

Active leadership and trail b lazing by public administration and business through greatertransparency of their environmental and social impacts (UNCSD, 2002), efforts to decrease theseimpacts (UNEP, 2004) and through more sustainable procurement along their supply chains andmore sustainable business plans (UNCSD, 2002), thus seeding and expanding markets for greenergoods, services and eco-innovation (European Council, 2008).

Engagement of citizens in more sustainable consumption through the inclusion of sustainableconsumption in national educational programmes and providing information to the general public

over the environmental consequences of different lifestyle choices (UNEP, 2004; European Council,2008).

Enabling consumers to follow less energy and resource intensive lifestylesand make betterchoices through providing less energy and resource intensive infrastructure and products; requiringenvironmental information on products (European Commission, 2008b); making greener productsmore visible (UNEP, 2004); promoting more sustainable business-marketing plans (UNEP, 2004);and making sustainable behaviour affordable and attractive both economically and socially.

The Policy Questions

The 35 questions, which continually improving indicators will be selected to answer, are split into threegroups: Headline questions for the public and politicians; questions on Status and Trends in Consumptionand Production, and finally; the Framework for Change are the framework conditions in place to ensurethat we move closer to sustainable development? The 35 policy questions are shown on the next page.

Contact

For more information please contact the European Environment Agency or its European Topic Centre onSCP:

EEA Group Leader: ETC/SCP Project Manager:Lars Mortensen David Watson00 45 3336 7288 00 45 7254 6170

Lars.Mortensen@eea.europa.eu dawat@etc.mim.dk

mailto:Lars.Mortensen@eea.europa.eumailto:dawat@etc.mim.dkmailto:dawat@etc.mim.dkmailto:Lars.Mortensen@eea.europa.eu

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