Implementation challenges and solutions for SCP programmes in developing countries
What role for business, government and development partners for mainstreaming sustainable consumption and production: The case of SWITCH-Asia Programme
Date and Time Slot: May 9th 6.15PM-7.45PM
Location: Conference Room 2, UN North Lawn Building (NLB)
Host: The European Commission
Important note:
Prior to the side-event SNACKS & COFFEE will be served.
Please RSVP by May 5th to register for an UN badge (needed to access the UN NLB) E-mail: [email protected]
Why this side event?
In the presence of Ms. Liana Bratasida, Assistant Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Indonesian State Ministry of Environment, this side event will illustrate the concrete case of the EU funded SWITCH-Asia Programme aiming at implementation of sustainable consumption and production in Asia. Launched in 2007, the programme provides funding opportunities of €150 million over the period 2007-2013.
The panel discussion will provide concrete cases of how business is taking action to mainstream SCP practices and how Asian governments are working to encourage and reinforce responsible business actions.
What role for business, government and development partners to implement SCP?
Governments and policy-makers have a central role in developing and encouraging SCP programs. This can be sometimes difficult in some developing countries where there are many implementation challenges, lack of resources and capacity building. This is where development partners can support national policy priorities and help strengtening their implementation.
Governments have also an important function in encouraging and supporting actions by businesses towards SCP. On the one hand, they can encourage industry to take up SCP practices and create a business case through tax systems, grant and reward schemes, recognition/social pressure, benchmarking instruments and penalties, fines and enforcement action. On other hand, they can enable environment friendly action by removing barriers, building capacity and providing information, providing facilities in response to the demand.
Through day-to-day activities of businesses and business intermediary organisations, sustainable consumption and production practices can be mainstreamed. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), companies connecting the upstream and downstream parts of the value chains such as retailers and business membership organisations (BMOs) including Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations play a key role in the take-up of less environmentally harmful and more socially products and services.
Based on this thinking, SWITCH-Asia projects aim at replicating SCP practices on the ground. They address both supply and demand – two sides of the same SCP coin. On the one hand, they encourage consumers to shift demand to environment-friendly and ethical products, and on the other hand, they encourage enterprises to achieve a switch to sustainable production practices.
A new component of the SWITCH-Asia Programme, Policy Support Component (PSC) is targeting the policy makers in Asian countries, by raising awareness, building capacity and develop an enabling institutional framework to design and implement SCP policies.
Panel discussion and movie projections
During the side event, a panel discussion accompanied by projection of videos from SWITCH-Asia projects will take place.
The session is chaired by Mr. Thomas Wiley – Acting Head of Unit, DG DEVCO, European Commission
The panellists are:
· How can governments enable and encourage environment friendly business practices in Asia? by Ms. Liana Bratasida, Assistant Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Indonesian State Ministry of Environment
· The Policy Support Component of the SWITCH-Asia Programme – developing innovative SCP policies by Charles Arden-Clarke, Head, Goods and Services Unit, SCP Branch, UNEP
· What key role can a retailer play in mainstreaming green and fair products? Working with suppliers and addressing consumers by Ms. Sarah Beatty, Founder & President, Green Depot
· How are business partnerships enabling a switch to sustainable consumption and production? by Mr. Jim Fava, co-founder of Five Winds International & chair of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative
· What actions are Asian Business Membership Organizations (BMOs) taking to support mainstreaming of sustainable production practices? by Mr. Frans Verspeek, team leader, SWITCH-Asia Network Facility
Moderation by Mr. Rajan Gandhi, Society in Action Group in India.
Further information
For information on the SWITCH-Asia programme [an EU-funded programme to strengthen SCP in Asia] please visit
and
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/asia/regional-cooperation/environment/switch_en.htm
For details on the CSD-19 and participation please visit
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/csd/csd_csd19.shtml
We look forward to meeting you on May 9th!
SWITCH-Asia Network Facility
(For questions on the contents of the side event and to request an UN badge please contact [email protected] by May 5th)
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Frans Verspeek
Team Leader SWITCH-Asia Network Facility
UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating
Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP)
Hagenauer Strasse 30 . 42107 Wuppertal . Germany
Tel. : + 49.202.45958.14 (direct)
Fax. : + 49.202.45958.31
Mob.: + 31.6.15.113.771
Mail : [email protected]
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UNEP/ Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on
Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) gGmbH;
Sitz der Gesellschaft/Registered Office: Wuppertal, Germany;
Registergericht/Registered at Amtsgericht Wuppertal, Germany;
Eintragungs-Nr./Registration no.: HRB 20060;
USt.-ID Nr./VAT ID No.: DE 250 910 282
Geschaeftsfuehrer/Managing Director: Michael Kuhndt