23 February 2016: The 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Secretariat at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a paper produced by Statistics Sweden and the Ministry of Environment of Chile, on measuring the shift to sustainable patterns of consumption and production in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As the report notes, monitoring SCP, which is contained in SDG 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns), will require indicators that measure the shift in consumption and production patterns, as well as the institutional capacity to apply the measurements effectively. The report outlines ways to support monitoring SCP-related targets and indicators, in particular by using the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). The authors argue that the reporting burden on countries, and the increasing number of reporting systems, suggest the need for common statistical standards that relate and connect with each other, such as the SEEA. The UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) has identified SEEA as an important statistical framework for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDG indicators, the report notes.

The report explores SEEA-compliant data for SCP-related targets in Goals 2-3, 6-9 and 11-15. It highlights data sets, for example, that measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, noting that this is relevant to specific targets under SDGs 8, 9, 12 and 13.

Finally, the paper proposes ways to build countries’ capacity on the SDG indicators, using existing data. The authors also stress the value of country-level efforts to produce data for the agreed indicators, rather than creating new, separate indicators.

The paper will be discussed in a side event during the UNSC’s 47th session, on 9 March 2016, in New York, US. [Publication: Monitoring the Shift to Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns in the Context of the SDGs] [SCP Clearinghouse] [UNEP 10YFP Website] [UNSC 47 Side Events]