How to implement SCP? SWITCH-Asia Panel Discussion at UN-CSD
- Thomas Wiley welcoming the audience
After a long day of negotiation at the United Nations Comission on Sustainable Development (UN-CSD) more than 50 participants listened to the panel discussion organized by the SWITCH-Asia Programme. Thomas Wiley, Acting Head of Unit, EuropeAid, European Commission, opened the side-event and highlighted that SWITCH-Asia is intended to promote economic prosperity and help reduce poverty. He said: “The specific purpose of the programme is to promote the adoption of sustainable consumption and production practices in Asia, especially by SMEs.”
Liana Bratasida, Assistant Minister in the Indonesian Ministry of Environment, shared various activities happening in Indonesia to promote SCP. However, she also sees the need of better coordination among governmental institutions, a need of wider engagement of business, consumers and academia for change and a need of capacity building especially in life-cycle inventory and life-cycle assessment. The SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component (PSC) will address this need. According to UNEP-Expert Charles Arden-Clarke, from the PSC, the component aims to provide decision makers in public sector with a better understanding of benefits of SCP and Resource Efficiency to apply SCP policies.
- Audience at UN negotiation room
In his presentation, Jim Fava, co-founder of Five Winds International provided the audience with first steps on how to promote sustainable consumption and production. He focused on the importance of improved procurement practices. He recommended to learn from others but also adapt to one’s own culture or governance, to engage educational forums to include green procurement policies and practice with suppliers, educational forums e.g., business schools, executive development programs and to develop data bases on greener product information and resources.
- Frans Verspeek, SWITCH-Asia Network Facility
Frans Verspeek, teamleader of the CSCP run SWITCH-Asia Network Facility, addressed the question what actions are Asian Business Membership Organizations (BMOs) taking to mainstream sustainable production practices. He presented examples from various countries and highlighted the importance of business member organization to reach out to SMEs and business to advance SCP.
Sarah Beatty, president of the retailer Green Depot, sees a responsibility for business to address environmental impact. She shared her personal story of becoming a green entrepreneur: when she was pregnant and her landlord informed her that her apartment was toxic she realized the health and environmental impacts of the materials that surround human beings. Today, as president of retailer Green Depot she believes: “Corporations large and small, Government, and individuals citizens all share the responsibility, burden and exciting opportunity to make our world sustainable for future generations.”
To view all presentations on SCP implementation please visit the event page.