Background

While over the last two decades progress has been achieved in addressing sustainable consumption and production (SCP) issues, albeit in a fragmented manner, strategies and policies specifically targeting SCP often remain under-developed in the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). Developing SCP strategies and policies requires inter-sectoral and inter-ministerial coordination, and consolidated decision-making in relevant economic areas. Information on the economic benefits of environmental policies and investment return from greener options needs to be communicated with decision makers and the public. As SCP is a holistic approach rather than an end-of-pipe solution, it needs inter-ministerial coordination and the active involvement of a wide range of stakeholders.

The EaP GREEN programme will support the development of national SCP policy frameworks in order to:

1. promote the integration of resource efficiency and SCP policies into national economic and development planning and implementation processes;
2. develop and implement national SCP programmes or action plans where these are requested; and
3. show the added value of SCP practices in transitioning to a green economy. 

To this end, the following activities will be carried out:

• Organisation of two regional SCP workshops. The target audiences for regional policy dialogue are policy-makers, the civil society and businesses. The aim is to raise awareness on SCP approaches, review overall SCP status progress in the region, exchange experience and hear success stories from the EaP and other European countries.
• Development of national SCP programmes. UNEP will support three countries in the preparation of a national scoping study, demonstration of environmental, economic and social benefits of the implementation of SCP, selection of priority areas, definition of objectives and targets of a SCP programme at national level through consultation, and the establishment of country indicators and of a monitoring and reporting system.
• Setting up and management of a Regional Information Exchange platform to exchange data, information and good practise.

UNEP is the lead partner for this element of the programme.

DID YOU KNOW? ...that the 10 Year Framework of Programmes (10 YFP) on SCP was adopted at the Rio+20 conference in June 2012. The 10 YFP is the platform to support the implementation of regional and national SCP programmes.