Finalizing the Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production

After a nearly 12-hour negotiation session, government delegates tentatively adopted a six-page Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP on SCP) at 5:15 am Friday morning (5/13). The negotiations took place between twenty people sitting in small conference room, with six groups dictating the negotiations (G77, US, EU, Australia, Canada and Switzerland). With the 10YFP nearly finalized, it is worth looking back at how the critical issues raised in last week’s post were addressed.

1. Organizational structure: UNEP has been asked “to serve, within its current mandate, as the 10YFP secretariat.” In this role they will facilitate meetings and prepare reports on the 10YFP, including bienneial reports to CSD. If UNEP’s provision of complementary food at CSD side events is any indication of their performance managing the 10YFP, the outlook for SCP is good.
2. Financing: The 10YFP “invites UNEP to establish a trust fund for SCP programmes to mobilize voluntary contributions from multiple sources, including public/donor contributions, the private sector and other sources including foundations.” The bulk of SCP financing, however, will depend on existing resources.
3. Means of implementation: SCP programmes have 11 criteria, namely that programmes “be based on lifecycle approaches, including resource efficiency and sustainable use of resources, and related methodologies, including science-based and traditional knowledge based approaches, cradle-to-cradle, and the 3Rs, as appropriate.”
4. Indicators: None! Based on this morning’s ministerial dialogue on “moving towards sustainable development: expectations from Rio+20,” this will continue to be a sticking point at Rio+20.

Agriculture…did not make the illustrative list of five programmes. Need for a strong push at Rio.

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SSB