Responsible Consumption and Production

What  is responsible consumption and production

1: Responsible consumption:  Sustainable consumption is the use of services and related products which respond to basic needs and which bring a better quality of life to people. This type of consumption minimizes the use of natural resources and toxic materials and reduces polluting emissions of waste over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations.

2: Responsible production:  the creation of goods and services using processes and systems that are non-polluting, that conserve and preserve energy and natural resources, that are economically viable, safe and healthy for workers and consumers, and that are socially and creatively rewarding.

• Achieving economic growth and sustainable development requires that we urgently reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. Agriculture is the biggest user of water worldwide, and irrigation now claims close to 70 percent of all freshwater for human use.

• Practice of the four 'Rs' - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover. By keeping the public informed and educated, the necessary tools to live in harmony with nature for sustainable lifestyles are provided. The scientific and technological capacities, particularly of developing countries, can be strengthened through education efforts, thereby moving towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

Why  is responsible consumption and production important?

1. Secures efficiency and productivity gains, ensuring that human activities remain within the carrying capacity of the planet, while respecting the rights of future generations.

2. promotes resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure and access to green and decent jobs and a better quality of life.

3. SCP is important because human beings exert extreme stress on the planet and its resources. Every living being relies on the planet for the basic needs of air, food, water and shelter. In addition, humans exert a special kind of stress on the planet, an exponential pressure to provide beyond the basic needs such as bigger houses, nicer cars, the latest gadgets and appliances, entertainment, fashion items, annual vacations and so on.  It is estimated that the world population will reach 9.5 billion by 2050. The number may not mean much until we consider that 70 percent of the world’s population is predicted to live in resource-intensive urban 

Examples of Responsible Consumption and Production

• International sportswear old-timer Nike acknowledges SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production.Their mission is to Move to Zero, meaning moving toward zero carbon and zero waste, to help protect the future of sports. Nike increases the percentage of recycled materials in their products, showing their full support for SDG 12. 

• Excess Materials Exchange is a digital marketplace that uses AI and blockchain to give waste a second life, offering companies practical solutions for the circular economy by exchanging any excess materials and products. They are determined to accelerate the global transition to a circular economy — and play a part in creating a more viable planet. By showing the financial and ecological value of materials they challenge companies to design and produce their goods in a more efficient and circular manner.

Fun Facts about Responsible Consumption and Production

• From 2000 to 2019, total domestic material consumption rose by more than 65 per cent globally, amounting to 95.1 billion metric tons in 2019.

• During this period, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia showed the steepest rise in domestic material consumption, from 31 per cent in 2000 to 43 per cent in 2019.

• An estimated 13.3 per cent of the world’s food was lost after harvesting and before reaching retail markets.

• An estimated 17 per cent of total food available to consumers (931 million metric tons) is wasted at household, food service and retail levels.

• Food that ends up in landfills generates 8 to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

• Renewables represent over a third (36.1 per cent) of developing countries’ total electricity-generating capacity.

• In 2020, governments spent $375 billion on subsidies and other support for fossil fuels.

• 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 2 billion people go hungry or undernourished.

• The food sector accounts for around 22 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, largely from the conversion of forests into farmland.

• 2 billion are overweight or obese globally.

• 3 percent of the world’s water is fresh (drinkable), and humans are using it faster than nature can replenish it. 

• If people everywhere switched to energy efficient light bulbs, the world would save US$120 billion annually.

• One-fifth of the world’s final energy consumption in 2013 was from renewable sources. 

• Around 90 per cent of countries report that education for sustainable development and global citizenship education are at least partially mainstreamed in national education laws and policies, curricula, teacher education or student assessments in primary and secondary school.

• The world wastes or loses around a third of the food it produces while almost 690 million people go hungry