18 February 2015: The Permanent Missions of of Brazil and Finland to the UN hosted an interactive discussion on advancing sustainable consumption and production (SCP) within the post-2015 process, on the sidelines of the second session of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. The event focused on: a discussion paper prepared by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on financing the shift to SCP; the role of the Ten-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on SCP as a component of the means of implementation of the post-2015 agenda; and moving forward on the approach by which SCP indicators will be identified for the new goal set.

Addressing the event at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 18 February 2015, Brazil’s Permanent Representative Antonio de Aguiar Patriota emphasized that SCP is an objective of sustainable development and plays a crucial role in the fight against poverty. Kai Jürgen Mikael Sauer, Permanent Representative of Finland, said SCP represents a “positive agenda.” It is not against development, but aims to fulfill people’s basic needs in a sustainable manner, helping to ensure that one billion people will be lifted out of poverty, he added.

Arab Hoballah, Chief of UNEP’s Sustainable Lifestyles, Cities and Industry Branch, said SCP is transformative and universal, and applies an integrated and systemic approach that spans all three pillars of sustainable development. Hoballah noted that UNEP is currently looking at ways to consolidate indicators that apply to more than one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets. UNEP aims to release a paper on this topic ahead of the third session of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, which will convene on 23-27 March 2015.

Presentations also were made by Alessandra Alfieri from the UN Statistics Division, on ‘National SCP policies and integrated indicators as key instruments for implementing the post-2015 development agenda,’ and Sue Riddlestone, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Bioregional, on ‘Civil society’s role in implementation: Where and how best to contribute?’ Jane Henley, CEO of the World Green Building Council, provided a report on ‘The private sector’s contribution to SCP and the 10YFP’ via teleconference.

Thembela Ngculu, Permanent Mission of South Africa and 10YFP Board member, spoke about the Board’s role in designing sustainable tourism and sustainable food systems.

The event was supported by UNEP and the 10YFP Secretariat. [IISD RS Sources] [Sustainable Consumption and Production and the post-2015 development agenda: what needs to be implemented and measured: Discussion note] [UNEP Webpage for Event]