The Centre contributes to the Plan of Implementation agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 to promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

 

The Centre provides scientific support to activities undertaken by UNEP and other organisations in the field of SCP. This support includes the development, testing, implementation and monitoring of concrete projects, especially in developing countries, which enables these countries to leapfrog to sustainable consumption and production patterns using life cycle thinking and regional perspectives as guiding principles.

 

In this respect the Centre supports the integration of environmental, social and cultural concerns into decision making at the level of national governments, regional and local authorities, the private sector, and consumer groups.

 

The Centre works on the exchange of experiences with partners in both developing and developed countries, with support for capacity building and training approaches as an integral part of its programmes.

 

Recognising the common links between global and regional consumption and production patterns, the Centre is putting equal emphasis on the global value chain and the regional perspective in fulfilling its objectives.

 

The centre's objectives for the next three years are to:

• Monitor and report global and regional trends in SCP;
• Contribute to the adoption and implementation of policies and measures aimed at promoting CSP patterns by understanding global and regional priorities;
• Raise awareness within, and provide support to, the private sector in understanding their role in achieving SCP patterns along the global value chain and in specific regions;
• Raise awareness within and provide support to, consumer groups in understanding their role in achieving SCP patterns;
• Achieve effective cooperation and leverage with partners.