European Union
Statement on behalf of the European Union and its 27 Member
States
By
Hugo-Maria SCHALLY
Delegation of the European Union
Intergovernmental preparatory meeting
of the 19th Commission on Sustainable Development
10 Year Framework of Programmes on
Sustainable Production & Consumption Patterns
United Nations
New York
3 March 2011
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
I have the honour to speak on behalf of EU and its 27 Member States.
At the Conference of Rio, governments committed to promote patterns
of consumption and production that reduce environmental stress and will meet
the basic needs of humanity. Ten years later, the international community
recognized in Johannesburg the need to shape and launch an ambitious and
actionable 10-year framework of programmes (10YFP) at CSD19 for the period
2011-2021 in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift
towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP).
This need has been reconfirmed in the Chair?s summary of CSD18, stating that
Sustainable development calls for fundamental changes in the way societies
produce and consume. In order to carry out effectively these fundamental
changes , the EU wants to reaffirm the urgency for all countries to endorse
a 10YFP at CSD19 and to express high political support for this work.
Moreover, it will be an important step towards UNCSD2012 (Rio+20) as
a concrete and actionable response to various challenges on the way to green
the economies worldwide while addressing social concerns and acting in synergy
with other recent important commitments . One of these recent commitments is
the Strategic Plan adopted at Nagoya which foresees that by 2020, at the latest,
Governments, business and stakeholders at all levels have taken steps to
achieve or have implemented plans for SCP.
The EU would like to thank H.E. Ms Lucia Chandeck Cummings, Minister of the
Environment of Panama, for having hosted the High-level Intersessional Meeting
of the CSD on the 10YFP on SCP and H.E. Mr Laszlo Borbely, Minister of the
Environment and Forests of Romania, Chair of CSD19 for his active support and
involvement. This well attended meeting offered an excellent opportunity to start
shaping the 10YFP and we welcome the Chair?s summary that includes, in our
view, constructive and relevant proposals for building the 10YFP. We were happy
to note that several of these proposals were recaptured in the Resource Paper
prepared by the Bureau for the CSD 19 decision.
EU welcomes the UNEP GC 26 decision on 10 YFP which recommends the
endorsement of the 10YFP by CSD19.
The 10YFP should be based inter alia on valuable experience of the Marrakech
process on SCP and already very important work which has been done on
national, regional, and global level.
On the Structure of the 10YFP
Concerning the structure the EU holds the opinion that the 10YFP to be adopted
at CSD 19 should consist of 2 parts:
- The first part should describe the core elements of the 10YFP: the vision,
the global common goals, the program areas and criteria, the functions as
well as the institutional structure of the 10YFP. This should be part of the
decision at CSD 19.
- The second part should describe the programs along a common template.
This part should have the status of a non negotiated document to remain
open and flexible in order to add and/or modify the programs over the
period 2011-2021 covered by the 10YFP. In order to adopt the 10YFP at
CSD 19 we would like to see a list of possible programmes included in the
outcome of IPM.
10 YFP should be based on valuable experiences such as the Marrakech process
on SCP and the SAICM model, the first Part describing the core elements of the
10YFP should be based on agreed elements of Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration
and the JPOI as well as on new additional elements brought up by new
processes, as follows:
On Vision, Goals and Principles of the 10YFP
While unsustainable consumption patterns are severely stressing the earth?s
resources, large segments of the population still lack access to basic needs. This
combination of over and under-consumption has resulted in enormous disparities.
The 10YFP should include an ambitious common global vision of shared
prosperity and human development within the carrying capacity of the planet
with developed countries taking the lead in accordance with JPOI and Rio
Principle 7 1.
The 10YFP should reaffirm that changing unsustainable consumption and
production patterns is one of the three overarching objectives of sustainable
development.
As of the global common goals, the 10YFP should simultaneously promote a
competitive, inclusive economy delivering high level of employment, decent jobs
and social cohesion and an energy- and resource-efficient economy, by
decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation and stimulating
the creation of new economic activities within the carrying capacity of
ecosystems. The 10YFP should also support the global community to implement
a broad set of existing sustainable development commitments and to meet the
related objectives, providing a valuable input to the achievement of the MDGs
and the implementation of the relevant MEA?s.
We broadly agree with the five objectives set out in the Resource Paper. But we
also strongly stress the need for a life -cycle perspective when designing and
managing materials, products and processes and the need to use the full
diversity of policy instruments to stimulate and reinforce sustainable economic,
environmental and social outcomes. The 10YFP should also aim at ensuring a
just transition towards SCP patterns through strong and efficient social
protection systems, social dialogue and vocational training programs .
On the Functions of the 10YFP
Regarding the functions, the 10YFP should support local, national, regional and
international initiatives on SCP by providing a global platform for governments
and stakeholders to strengthen their efforts, including their collaboration and
partnerships, on SCP. Key functions should be knowledge sharing, networking,
awareness raising and education and enhance mechanisms for capacity building,
technology and knowledge transfer systems. The 10YFP should also enable
frameworks and strategic planning for SCP, provide incentives and facilitate
1 §306 of CSD18 Chair?s Summary.
mainstreaming SCP into the work of all relevant national, regio nal and
international organizations and processes . It should also involve all relevant
stakeholders, in particular businesses through their Corporate Social
Responsibility activities, as key to achieving the shift towards SCP. And finally, a
key function of the 10YFP should also be to review regularly progress towards
SCP in particular at the global level, using inter alia sustainable development
indicators.
On the Institutional Structure of the 10YFP
The 10YFP should be supported by an efficient institutional structure deriving
from existing UN structures, promoting inter-agency collaboration and involving
major stakeholders, in particular business. It is also of high importance that this
structure should be able to address the 3 dimensions of sustainable development
in a balanced and integrated manner and should be supported by a globally
recognized, credible and coherent science base, inter alia the work of the
International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management and International
Panel on Climate Change.
Therefore and given the cross-cutting nature of SCP, the EU supports the
establishment of a single secretariat within an existing UN institution based on
its proven comparative advantage, to serve as coordinating function. This
secretariat should coordinate with all relevant UN agencies, any of which could
lead programs in their respective areas of expertise2. It should also be steered
by a Bureau made up of representatives of the various regions and of the
stakeholders involved in the 10YFP. National focal points including for major
groups should also be appointed to implement the 10YFP efficiently and report
back to the secretariat. The Bureau and Secretariat could be also supported by
regional knowledge hubs (RECs, SCP-Centers, Research Centers). At national
level the work could be facilitated through national networks, cross-sectoral and
cross-departmental or cross-ministerial commissions.
On Financing the 10YFP
The EU is of the view that existing multilateral and bilateral funding sources
should be the main mechanism for financial and technical support for the
implementation the 10YFP. The EU is also convinced that the effective
integration of SCP related programmes and initiatives into the existing
cooperation activities will be an important element for a successful
implementation of programmes and initiatives under the 10YFP. Existing sources
of relevant global funding should be utilized to provide catalytic funding for the
establishment and coordination of SCP programmes. In addition to relevant
stakeholders , in particular private sector, should be also invited, on a voluntary
basis, to support programs. The secretariat could be financed, either directly or
through a percentage on the programs budgets. Private sector could play an
important role in implementation of 10 YFP, i.a. through sustainable and
responsible investments.
2 Based on the Chair?s summary of the Intersessional meeting in Panama. As decided at the last WPIEI, the first part of
this § will be reviewed when the decision of the UNEP Governing Council is available.
On Program Areas and Criteria for Programs
The policy document should also define program areas and areas for program
development in order to structure the actual programs and specify the scope of
the 10YFP. The EU sees two main types of program areas, cross-sectoral and
sectoral, in both life cycle perspective is important. The program area having a
cross-sectoral nature should encompass in a balanced way programs on each
stag e of the life-cycle (production oriented programs, product oriented programs,
consumption oriented programs) or cross-stages programs. The program area
having a sectoral nature should encompass sectoral programs that should each
have a life cycle perspective.
Regarding the criteria to be fulfilled by the programs, the EU would like to
emphasize both consumption and production patterns, including resource
efficiency and sustainable use of resources, contribute to progress on the 3
pillars of sustainable dev elopment, cover various policy instruments in particular
by encouraging the use of a mix of efficient instruments in each program, be
based on solid scientific and policy knowledge base, and involve relevant
stakeholders.
On the Programs of the 10YFP
Now let me address the second part of the 10YFP on actual programs . They
should be set up on a voluntary basis while falling under one of the program
areas and meeting the criteria defined in the first part of the 10YFP. These
programs should respond to national and regional priorities and promote
synergies between different policy areas while avoiding duplication with other
existing initiatives. The programs should be described along a common template,
covering the objectives, activities, delivery mechanisms, indicators to measure
progress and leading actors . This second part of the 10YFP describing the
programs should remain open for adaptation during the period covered by the
10YFP.
The EU is pleased to announce that 6 programs drawing on the experiences of
the Marrakech process have been tabled. Three of them are already under
preparation within UNEP: one on sustainable tourism in partnership with France,
one on sustainable lifestyles in partnership with Sweden and one on education
and research in partnership with Italy. The other three programs: a program on
sustainable construction and buildings by Finland, a program on labelling for
sustainable products by Germany and a program on product environmental
footprinting and communication by France will form a g ood base for further work.
The EU would like to see all these 6 programs launched with a wide participation
of countries and stakeholders .
In conclusion Mr. Chairman the EU we hope that the discussions at the IPM will
contribute to a convergence of views on the structure of the 10YFP, the core
elements and programmes. We are convinced that all the elements necessary for
a successful conclusion of our discussions on the 10YFP will be on the table at
the end of our discussion at the IPM and that we will be able to adopt it at
CSD19. We will be available to work in this direction with you and all partners in
the CSD.
Thank you for your attention.
States
By
Hugo-Maria SCHALLY
Delegation of the European Union
Intergovernmental preparatory meeting
of the 19th Commission on Sustainable Development
10 Year Framework of Programmes on
Sustainable Production & Consumption Patterns
United Nations
New York
3 March 2011
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
I have the honour to speak on behalf of EU and its 27 Member States.
At the Conference of Rio, governments committed to promote patterns
of consumption and production that reduce environmental stress and will meet
the basic needs of humanity. Ten years later, the international community
recognized in Johannesburg the need to shape and launch an ambitious and
actionable 10-year framework of programmes (10YFP) at CSD19 for the period
2011-2021 in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift
towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP).
This need has been reconfirmed in the Chair?s summary of CSD18, stating that
Sustainable development calls for fundamental changes in the way societies
produce and consume. In order to carry out effectively these fundamental
changes , the EU wants to reaffirm the urgency for all countries to endorse
a 10YFP at CSD19 and to express high political support for this work.
Moreover, it will be an important step towards UNCSD2012 (Rio+20) as
a concrete and actionable response to various challenges on the way to green
the economies worldwide while addressing social concerns and acting in synergy
with other recent important commitments . One of these recent commitments is
the Strategic Plan adopted at Nagoya which foresees that by 2020, at the latest,
Governments, business and stakeholders at all levels have taken steps to
achieve or have implemented plans for SCP.
The EU would like to thank H.E. Ms Lucia Chandeck Cummings, Minister of the
Environment of Panama, for having hosted the High-level Intersessional Meeting
of the CSD on the 10YFP on SCP and H.E. Mr Laszlo Borbely, Minister of the
Environment and Forests of Romania, Chair of CSD19 for his active support and
involvement. This well attended meeting offered an excellent opportunity to start
shaping the 10YFP and we welcome the Chair?s summary that includes, in our
view, constructive and relevant proposals for building the 10YFP. We were happy
to note that several of these proposals were recaptured in the Resource Paper
prepared by the Bureau for the CSD 19 decision.
EU welcomes the UNEP GC 26 decision on 10 YFP which recommends the
endorsement of the 10YFP by CSD19.
The 10YFP should be based inter alia on valuable experience of the Marrakech
process on SCP and already very important work which has been done on
national, regional, and global level.
On the Structure of the 10YFP
Concerning the structure the EU holds the opinion that the 10YFP to be adopted
at CSD 19 should consist of 2 parts:
- The first part should describe the core elements of the 10YFP: the vision,
the global common goals, the program areas and criteria, the functions as
well as the institutional structure of the 10YFP. This should be part of the
decision at CSD 19.
- The second part should describe the programs along a common template.
This part should have the status of a non negotiated document to remain
open and flexible in order to add and/or modify the programs over the
period 2011-2021 covered by the 10YFP. In order to adopt the 10YFP at
CSD 19 we would like to see a list of possible programmes included in the
outcome of IPM.
10 YFP should be based on valuable experiences such as the Marrakech process
on SCP and the SAICM model, the first Part describing the core elements of the
10YFP should be based on agreed elements of Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration
and the JPOI as well as on new additional elements brought up by new
processes, as follows:
On Vision, Goals and Principles of the 10YFP
While unsustainable consumption patterns are severely stressing the earth?s
resources, large segments of the population still lack access to basic needs. This
combination of over and under-consumption has resulted in enormous disparities.
The 10YFP should include an ambitious common global vision of shared
prosperity and human development within the carrying capacity of the planet
with developed countries taking the lead in accordance with JPOI and Rio
Principle 7 1.
The 10YFP should reaffirm that changing unsustainable consumption and
production patterns is one of the three overarching objectives of sustainable
development.
As of the global common goals, the 10YFP should simultaneously promote a
competitive, inclusive economy delivering high level of employment, decent jobs
and social cohesion and an energy- and resource-efficient economy, by
decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation and stimulating
the creation of new economic activities within the carrying capacity of
ecosystems. The 10YFP should also support the global community to implement
a broad set of existing sustainable development commitments and to meet the
related objectives, providing a valuable input to the achievement of the MDGs
and the implementation of the relevant MEA?s.
We broadly agree with the five objectives set out in the Resource Paper. But we
also strongly stress the need for a life -cycle perspective when designing and
managing materials, products and processes and the need to use the full
diversity of policy instruments to stimulate and reinforce sustainable economic,
environmental and social outcomes. The 10YFP should also aim at ensuring a
just transition towards SCP patterns through strong and efficient social
protection systems, social dialogue and vocational training programs .
On the Functions of the 10YFP
Regarding the functions, the 10YFP should support local, national, regional and
international initiatives on SCP by providing a global platform for governments
and stakeholders to strengthen their efforts, including their collaboration and
partnerships, on SCP. Key functions should be knowledge sharing, networking,
awareness raising and education and enhance mechanisms for capacity building,
technology and knowledge transfer systems. The 10YFP should also enable
frameworks and strategic planning for SCP, provide incentives and facilitate
1 §306 of CSD18 Chair?s Summary.
mainstreaming SCP into the work of all relevant national, regio nal and
international organizations and processes . It should also involve all relevant
stakeholders, in particular businesses through their Corporate Social
Responsibility activities, as key to achieving the shift towards SCP. And finally, a
key function of the 10YFP should also be to review regularly progress towards
SCP in particular at the global level, using inter alia sustainable development
indicators.
On the Institutional Structure of the 10YFP
The 10YFP should be supported by an efficient institutional structure deriving
from existing UN structures, promoting inter-agency collaboration and involving
major stakeholders, in particular business. It is also of high importance that this
structure should be able to address the 3 dimensions of sustainable development
in a balanced and integrated manner and should be supported by a globally
recognized, credible and coherent science base, inter alia the work of the
International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management and International
Panel on Climate Change.
Therefore and given the cross-cutting nature of SCP, the EU supports the
establishment of a single secretariat within an existing UN institution based on
its proven comparative advantage, to serve as coordinating function. This
secretariat should coordinate with all relevant UN agencies, any of which could
lead programs in their respective areas of expertise2. It should also be steered
by a Bureau made up of representatives of the various regions and of the
stakeholders involved in the 10YFP. National focal points including for major
groups should also be appointed to implement the 10YFP efficiently and report
back to the secretariat. The Bureau and Secretariat could be also supported by
regional knowledge hubs (RECs, SCP-Centers, Research Centers). At national
level the work could be facilitated through national networks, cross-sectoral and
cross-departmental or cross-ministerial commissions.
On Financing the 10YFP
The EU is of the view that existing multilateral and bilateral funding sources
should be the main mechanism for financial and technical support for the
implementation the 10YFP. The EU is also convinced that the effective
integration of SCP related programmes and initiatives into the existing
cooperation activities will be an important element for a successful
implementation of programmes and initiatives under the 10YFP. Existing sources
of relevant global funding should be utilized to provide catalytic funding for the
establishment and coordination of SCP programmes. In addition to relevant
stakeholders , in particular private sector, should be also invited, on a voluntary
basis, to support programs. The secretariat could be financed, either directly or
through a percentage on the programs budgets. Private sector could play an
important role in implementation of 10 YFP, i.a. through sustainable and
responsible investments.
2 Based on the Chair?s summary of the Intersessional meeting in Panama. As decided at the last WPIEI, the first part of
this § will be reviewed when the decision of the UNEP Governing Council is available.
On Program Areas and Criteria for Programs
The policy document should also define program areas and areas for program
development in order to structure the actual programs and specify the scope of
the 10YFP. The EU sees two main types of program areas, cross-sectoral and
sectoral, in both life cycle perspective is important. The program area having a
cross-sectoral nature should encompass in a balanced way programs on each
stag e of the life-cycle (production oriented programs, product oriented programs,
consumption oriented programs) or cross-stages programs. The program area
having a sectoral nature should encompass sectoral programs that should each
have a life cycle perspective.
Regarding the criteria to be fulfilled by the programs, the EU would like to
emphasize both consumption and production patterns, including resource
efficiency and sustainable use of resources, contribute to progress on the 3
pillars of sustainable dev elopment, cover various policy instruments in particular
by encouraging the use of a mix of efficient instruments in each program, be
based on solid scientific and policy knowledge base, and involve relevant
stakeholders.
On the Programs of the 10YFP
Now let me address the second part of the 10YFP on actual programs . They
should be set up on a voluntary basis while falling under one of the program
areas and meeting the criteria defined in the first part of the 10YFP. These
programs should respond to national and regional priorities and promote
synergies between different policy areas while avoiding duplication with other
existing initiatives. The programs should be described along a common template,
covering the objectives, activities, delivery mechanisms, indicators to measure
progress and leading actors . This second part of the 10YFP describing the
programs should remain open for adaptation during the period covered by the
10YFP.
The EU is pleased to announce that 6 programs drawing on the experiences of
the Marrakech process have been tabled. Three of them are already under
preparation within UNEP: one on sustainable tourism in partnership with France,
one on sustainable lifestyles in partnership with Sweden and one on education
and research in partnership with Italy. The other three programs: a program on
sustainable construction and buildings by Finland, a program on labelling for
sustainable products by Germany and a program on product environmental
footprinting and communication by France will form a g ood base for further work.
The EU would like to see all these 6 programs launched with a wide participation
of countries and stakeholders .
In conclusion Mr. Chairman the EU we hope that the discussions at the IPM will
contribute to a convergence of views on the structure of the 10YFP, the core
elements and programmes. We are convinced that all the elements necessary for
a successful conclusion of our discussions on the 10YFP will be on the table at
the end of our discussion at the IPM and that we will be able to adopt it at
CSD19. We will be available to work in this direction with you and all partners in
the CSD.
Thank you for your attention.