Sustainable Consumption & Sustainable Consumption &

Production: Action PlanProduction: Action Plan

Bettina LorzBettina Lorz

Environmental Policy ForumEnvironmental Policy Forum24 October 2008 24 October 2008

Prices do not reflect costs

Unsustainable Production & Consumption

Biased Information

UnbalancedMarkets

Market Distortions

Green House Green House Gasses Gasses

Pollution Pollution Depletion Depletion Resources Resources

Climate Change Threats to Human Health

Threats to Biodiversity

Degradation Degradation air, water, soil… air, water, soil…

Population growth

Spending power Economic growth

Fixed behaviour

of consumers

Consumption Impacts of Products

70-80 % of impacts are caused by:

food & drink

housing (buildings, occupancy, appliances)

(private) transport

Focus policies on Products!

ChallengesChallenges

Reduce environmental stress in growing economy

Economic opportunities: “Do More with Less”

Towards an energy and resource efficient economy

The ResponseThe Response

Stimulate demand: for better products and production technologies

Continuously improve: environmental products performance over life-cycle

Empower better choices:for retailers and consumers

Action Plan: Core ElementsAction Plan: Core Elements

Better Products

Smarter Consumption

Leaner Production

Action at global level

Better ProductsBetter Products

Approach: Exclude “bad” performance Promote “good” Performance Continuous Improvement

Key Legislation: Eco-design Energy Labelling Eco-label

Better Products: Eco-designBetter Products: Eco-design

Scope: Energy-related products (in the future:

all products?)

Minimum requirements (mandatory)

Benchmarks of environmental performance (voluntary)

Update Periodically

Effective LabellingEffective Labelling

Labelling Directive: linked to Ecodesign energy-using and energy-related Labelling categories (set by minimum

requirements & benchmarks) ->A, B, C ,D…

Ecolabel: Excellence & Broad Scope Voluntary ‘Front runner’ label (top 10%) Feeds into ecodesign

Minimumrequirement

Environmental PerformanceBenchmark

D C B A A+ A++ A+++

EcolabelMandatory Label

Continuous ImprovementContinuous Improvement

Performance levels will provide harmonised basis across EU:

For Member State incentives

Mandatory Public Procurement

IncentivesIncentives

16% of EU GDP

Provide Guidance

Set Common Criteria

Indicative Targets

Green Public ProcurementGreen Public Procurement(voluntary actions)(voluntary actions)

Retail Forum

Promote sustainable products

Reduce environmental footprint of retail sector

Green supply chains

Share best practice

Working with RetailersWorking with Retailers

Leaner ProductionLeaner Production

Promote Resource Efficiency and Promote Resource Efficiency and Eco-innovationEco-innovation Tools to monitor, benchmark and promote; Tools to monitor, benchmark and promote;

addressing targetsaddressing targets Environmental Technology Verification SchemeEnvironmental Technology Verification Scheme

Enhance the environmental potential of Enhance the environmental potential of industryindustry Revised EMASRevised EMAS Industrial policy for environmental industriesIndustrial policy for environmental industries Support SMEsSupport SMEs

Towards Global Markets for Sustainable Products

Promote good practice: SCP Action Plan as input to UN Marrakech process

Promote international trade in environmentally friendly goods and services

Promote sectoral approaches in international climate negotiations

RoadmapRoadmap

Published: Proposal for extended Ecodesign Directive Proposal for revised Ecolabel Regulation Proposal for revised EMAS Regulation Communication on Green Public Procurement

Further actions later in 2008 and 2009 Proposal for revised Energy Labelling Directive Environmental Technology Verification Scheme Retailer Forum

Review of Action: 2012 Extend Ecodesign & Labelling directives ?

Thank you

European CommissionDG EnvironmentSustainable Consumption andProduction

www.ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/escp_en.hm