The European Commission has recently opened a consultation process on the EU Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The consultation is being undertaken on the basis of the Commission publication, entitled “Background Document to the Consultation on the Action Plans on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy”. The Slovenia conference will form a component of the consultation process and will bring together participants from public institutions, business and civil society to discuss SCP measures within the context of the Commission background document.

The focus of the conference will be on three main demand areas which have been identified as causing the greatest environmental impacts in Europe: Housing, food and drink, and mobility. Concentrating on these three areas will enable a focussed discussion and development of tangible ideas and measures to promote SCP in Europe. The conference aims to holistically address consumption and production elements within these three demand areas and the scope of discussion will include:

• Housing: aspects relating to construction materials such as concrete, steel, construction chemicals, as well as maintenance services, finance services, household appliances, energy and water use;
• Food and drink: aspects relating to agriculture, food chemicals, packaging, logistics, retailers, catering, restaurants, consumers' choices; and
• Mobility: aspects relating to public and private transportation, freight transportation, railway service, aviation as well as the related service.

Recommendations for the EU SCP Action Plan and for the Marrakech Process will be discussed with reference to the three fields of demand. The conference will bring together approximately 100 experts from national public institutions, civil society, and business.

The conference is organised by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and the UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP). Collaborating partners of the conference are the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Belgian Federal Secretary of State of Sustainable Development, the European Topic Centre on Resources and Waste Management (ETC/RWM), DG Environment of the European Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

For further information, please contact nadine.pratt@scp-centre.org

Key links:

• Conference Website including conference documents for download
• European Commission Consultation on the action plans on sustainable consumption and production, and sustainable industrial policy
• Background Document to the Consultation on The Action Plans on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy