| Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific regional consultations have outlined preliminary
ideas on a regional strategy for SCP. The region has held
four consultations in Indonesia
(2003),in South Korea (2003), and
in the Philippines (2008 and 2009)
in joint cooperation with UNESCAP and the Asia Pacific Roundtable
on SCP (APRSCP).
=>Main initiatives in the region include:
The
Green Growth Initiative
Indeed, during the last regional meeting, the Green
Growth regional initiative formally embraced the Marrakech
Process.
“Green Growth” emphasizes the need to improve
the “ecological efficiency” of the growth patterns
of countries in the region so that the region may continue
the much needed economic growth necessary for poverty reduction
without compromising the environmental sustainability of
the region. The Green Growth Approach could be strengthened
to become the regional framework of programmes for SCP in
the Asian and Pacific Region.
The
Help Desk on SCP
The Asia-Pacific region has established a Help
Desk on SCP in response to a request made at the second
regional expert meeting. The Help Desk is hosted by the
China Standard Certification Centre. The objectives of the
Help Desk are to:
- Share information through the Internet and expert networks
- Conduct studies to identify SCP tools and case studies
- Disseminate knowledge through training, policy dialogues
and forums
The Asia-Pacific Roundtable for SCP
An important actor in the Asia-Pacific Region is the APRSCP
- Asia-Pacific Roundtable
for SCP. At the 7th Asia-Pacific Roundtable for SCP
in Hanoi, Vietnam (April/2007), a special session on the
Marrakech Process was organised to establish a dialogue
among different stakeholders on policies and initiatives
to accelerating the shift towards SCP. During the Stockholm
International Meeting, the Asia Pacific Roundtable expressed
their interest in joining the efforts of the Marrakech Process
and offered to organise a meeting on SCP, which was held
in Cebu, Philippines, September 2008.For more information
see: http://www.aprscp.net/
Asia-Pacific Regional Meetings
=>See overall information on the Asia-Pacific regional
meetings:
The Fourth
Asia Pacific meeting on SCP, organized by UNEP in close
collaboration with the UN Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (UNESCAP), was held back to back to the Green
Industry meeting in Manila, Philippines on September 12th
2009.
The main objectives were to:
1. Strengthen knowledge and implementation mechanisms on
SCP that will in turn enable countries (including developing
countries and emerging economies) to move towards a Green
Economy and leapfrog from traditional pollution and resource
intensive development patterns to cost-efficient SCP patterns.
2. Prepare the Asia Pacific contribution for the elaboration
of the 10YFP to be reviewed and negotiated at the CSD19
in 2011. Regional outcomes and priorities will also feed
into the discussions of the review year during CSD18 in
2010.
Meeting report coming soon!
Third
Asia-Pacific Meeting
Cebu, Philippines, 2008
The Third meeting of the Seoul Initiative
Network on Green Growth (SINGG) and SCP for Climate Action,
organized by UNESCAP, was held in September 2008 in Cebu,
Philippines. It was held in parallel to the 8th Asia Pacific
Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP).
UNESCAP and the Green
Growth formally embraced the Marrakech Process. Indeed,
the Green Growth approach lead by UNESCAP was highly praised
by UNDESA, UNEP, UNIDO and the 8th APRSCP as the regional
strategy for achieving sustainable development and covering
all the major issues in the Marrakech Process for development
of the 10YFP. It was recommended that the Green Growth Approach
with its five tracks on green tax and budget reform, sustainable
infrastructure, sustainable consumption, green business
and ecological efficiency indicators could be strengthened
to become the regional framework of programmes for SCP in
the Asian and Pacific Region. The next meeting on Green
Growth and the Marrakech Process will take place in August
2009.
Links:
- Meeting
report Philippines
- Background
paper and concept
note
-
Three working groups discussed during
the Second Asia-Pacific Meeting, how further work on
SCP in the region should be organized in the areas of
government, industry and civil society. The outcome
of this meeting was endorsed by the UN Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP)
Committee on Managing Globalization.
Links:
First
Asia-Pacific Meeting
Yogyakarta, Indonesia (May 2003).
The First Asia-Pacific Meeting identified
priorities and elements for regional frameworks for
the region through the discussions of three working
groups on business strategies and tools, government
strategies and policy tools, and civil society and consumers.
Links:
SC.Asia
 Another
relevant project in the region was the SC.Asia: 'Capacity
Building for Implementation of UN Guidelines on Consumer
Protection) in Asia'. This two-year project (2005-2007)
was financially supported by the European Union, through
its Asia Pro-Eco Programme. The project was proposed
as a means to respond to the call from governments in
Asia to strengthen the capacity of governments and other
stakeholders to implement the UN
Guidelines on Sustainable Consumption, and to share
experiences regionally (Asia-Asia) and inter-regionally
(Europe-Asia) on sustainable consumption practices.
The project involves six European countries (Denmark,
France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden) and
12 Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, P.R. China,
India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines,
Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam). The project was a
collaborative effort between the UNEP, Consumers International,
the Centre for Environment and Development and the Danish
Consumer Council.
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| SC.Asia identifies 'best
practices' for promoting SCP, and then builded
knowledge and capacity in government agencies
for their implementation |
A key output of the initiative was a
guidance manual entitled Advancing
Sustainable Consumption in Asia which provides
Asian governments with practical tools for developing
national action plans, with special focus on:
- Product information
- Waste prevention and minimisation
- Sustainable government practices
- Awareness, education and marketing for SCP
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Upcoming events
 'Coherent
and integrated policies on SCP need to be established.
This is a necessity if the Asia-Pacific region
is to become the world's main manufacturing hub
over the next 10 years and to address the challenge
of alleviating poverty and of increasing the quality
of life for all its people'
Djauhari Oratmangun,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia (First
Asia-Pacific Meeting, Indonesia/2003) |
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