Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production

 

Sustainable Development Goal 12 which is ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns promotes increased human well-being while decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation.

This helps in increase access of least developed countries to needed expertise and finance to achieve sustainable economic growth and identify opportunities for green growth.

The way in which societies use and care for natural resources fundamentally shapes the well-being of humanity, the environment and the economy.

One of the core objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to decouple economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation, notably through improved resource efficiency.

SDG 12 encapsulates the entire sustainable development paradigm at the local, national, regional and global levels.

Much of the world’s economy is based around producing things for consumption.

This drives the engine of industry. 

If we want the world to develop sustainably, we need to understand how to be more responsible at both ends of this cycle.

This means promoting resource and energy efficiency, having a sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services for all. 

The urgent need to address unsustainable consumption and production patterns is clearly reflected in trends such as increasing water scarcity, rapidly rising energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, escalating generation of waste, very low levels of reuse and recycling, and worsening air and water pollution.

The least developed countries are at a particular disadvantage, given resource and capacity constraints.

For them, a step such as adopting stringent environmental standards might place unrealistic demands upon relatively weak economies, dragging down productivity, growth and incomes.

These countries need substantial technical support and financial assistance to move towards clean, modern technologies and practices that help achieve sustainable consumption and production.

SDG 12 connects all countries, developed and developing. 

The global interdependence of consumption and production patterns means that change everywhere is necessary to achieve transformation anywhere.

Action taken to achieve sustainable consumption and production has the potential to be transformational.

Well-designed national policy frameworks and instruments could enable fundamental shifts in these patterns by changing the course of economic and social development.

Multiple benefits could accrue, including in agriculture (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), water efficiency (SDG 6), energy efficiency (SDG 7), resource consumption (SDG 8), infrastructure and industry (SDG 9), the environmental impact of cities (SDGs 11 and 15), and climate change (SDG 13).

Sustainable consumption and production therefore demand action on education for sustainable development and lifestyles (SDGs 4 and 13), increasing the share of renewable energy, enlarging investment in research and development and encouraging innovation, and improving the management of cities.

Given the interdependence of sustainable consumption and production patterns across regions, countries and communities, the failure to progress on SDG 12 will have negative consequences for all.

Some countries and groups are more vulnerable to these consequences, however, even as they have more limited prospects to participate in—and benefit from—a transformative shift in consumption and production.

Sustainable consumption and production will require transitions in agriculture, industry, energy, construction and transport.

Labour markets will shift, and new employment opportunities will arise.

The higher-tech nature of future job opportunities will require greater levels of education particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

SDG 12 requires the commitment and action of different actors, including governments and the private sector, as well as changes to behaviours and practices in many arenas.

Critical to its achievement is an overhaul of economic planning (SDG 8) to take into account social and environmental dimensions, and the sustainability of consumption and production.

SDG 12 calls for responsible consumption and production.

It aims at decoupling economic growth from environmental damage and natural resource exploitation.

This includes efficient management and use of natural resources, cutting various types of waste, and responsible management of wastes and chemicals.

It also calls for adoption of sustainable practices in companies and in public procurement.

SDG 12 aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

World­wide consumption and production, a driving force of the global economy, rely on the use of the natural environment and resources in a model that continues to lead to destructive impacts on the planet.

Countries should build a recovery plan that will reverse current trends and change consumption and production patterns towards a sustainable future.

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