SPAC Working Group
Recent News and Events
June 26-29, 2007
What can we learn from the Swedes?
Following
her trip to Sweden, Gail Karlsson looks at possibilities for reducing
individual and household consumption and making sustainability a commonly-accepted
norm. In addition to research on and evaluation of current public interest
campaigns (including, for example, Al Gore's pledge - www.algore.com
); economic and sociological impacts of specific national or local
government actions and policies, and other actions, we might also look
at other countries that have made better progress towards sustainability
than the US, for example, seeing what we could learn from the Swedes.
Check out her article "Sustainable
lifestyles: What can we learn from the Swedes?"
Oct 14, 2005
Consumption at sustainability symposium
Southern Oregon University's Institute for Environmental
Studies organized a symposium titled "Sustainability in
Concept and Practice" on October 13, 2005 that attempted
to define the concept of sustainability and plot some strategies to
achieve it. It was reported that many participants defined it as "as
doing what it takes in research, policy and planning to consume fewer
resources than can be replaced."
Details
from Southern Oregon's Mail Tribune
Sep 5, 2005:
N. American regional SPAC statement released
On Labor Day, North American groups released the statement "Producing and Consuming in North America: A Call for Action and Leadership" The statement was also presented to an international expert audience of governments and stakeholders in Costa Rica.
May/June 2005:
Workshop
on North American Framework for SPAC
ISF and NASCA hosted a regional multi-stakeholder workshop to discuss and report on what is happening in North America to promote sustainable production and consumption. One objective of the meeting was to develop a regional framework to improve cooperation and effectiveness. Another function of this meeting was to provide citizen input into the upcoming International Experts Meeting on SPAC in Costa Rica this September.
Apr. 2005:
Getting the Goods: SPAC newsletter released
Integrative Strategies Forum has released the latest edition of Getting the Goods - its newsletter on Sustainable Production and Consumption. This edition contains articles on the developments in SPAC across the world.
Apr. 2005:
SPAC at CSD-13
A short report about the discussions and deliberations on sustainable production and consumption during the 13th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development is available here. The report includes details about SPAC in the CSD-13 decision, the 2nd International meeting in the Marrakech Process etc.
Jan. 2005:
EPR policy in US and Canada
The Product Policy Project has released a comparative paper titled "Extended Producer Responsibility Policies in the United States and Canada: History and Status".
Oct 2004:
Limits
to Growth: The 30 year Update
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a talk by Dr. Denis Meadows, co-author of the recently released book "Limits to Growth: The 30 year Update". " The 2004 update features analysis of the newest data and reveals humanity's ecological footprint. The volume concludes with policy and programmatic recommendations for a transition to sustainability."
Sept. 2004:
Healthy Foods, Local Farms
Sierra Club organized a conference titled "Healthy Foods, Local Farms" in Louisville, KY on October 2nd 2004 as a part of its "True Cost of Food Campaign". Details are available here.
Sept. 2004:
Green Building and LCA
The Sustainable Products Purchasers Coalition and the US Green Building Council organized a conference titled "Crossroads: The intersection of Green Building and Life Cycle Analysis" in Portland and Seattle on September 9th and 10th respectively. The conference flyer is available here . Healthy Building Network reports on the conference here.
May 2004:
True Cost of Food Campaign
Sierra Club has launched a national grassroots campaign titled "True Cost of Food" campaign that focuses on American food production and consumption patterns. The goal of the Campaign is to make the Club a leader in sustainable eating by making Americans realize the "true cost of food". Details are available at the spring newsletter of the Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Committee.
Apr. 2004:
C2P2/ NASCA meeting in Ottawa
The Canadian Center for Pollution Prevention and the North American Sustainable Consumption Alliance (NASCA) hosted an experts workshop on "Strategic priorities in promoting sustainable consumption in North America" in Ottawa, ontario on April 30th 2004. The meeting report is available here.
Apr 2004:
SPAC newsletter & CSD12
Integrative Strategies Forum published " Getting the Goods: Civil society news and views on sustainable production and consumption" in April 2004 for circulation at the 12th session of the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD 12) and beyond. ISF's report of SPAC activities at CSD is available here.
Mar 22nd 2004:
Ecological Footprints update
Redefining Progress has released an update of the Ecological Footprint Accounts—which is one of the world's leading indicators of sustainability. The 2004 Footprint of Nations concludes that the world's wealthiest nations are mortgaging the future at the expense of today's children, the poor, and the long-term health of the Earth. Through excessive consumption of non-renewable resources, a handful of countries are depleting global reserves at a faster rate than ever before.
Read Redefining Progress' Press Release
Jan 27th 2004:
Sustainable Consumption workshop in DC
The Worldwatch Institute and North American Sustainable Consumption Alliance (NASCA) organized an experts workshop on “Strategic Priorities for Promoting Sustainable Consumption in North America†in Washington DC on January 27th 2004. The workshop aimed to advance the process of developing a concrete, constructive, and collaborative strategy for promoting sustainable consumption in North America. The participants, including both NGOs and charitable foundations, discussed possible initiatives in the fields of government initiatives, industry targeted activities, purchasing, communicating and promoting sustainable consumption. As a next step, the participants suggested building on the Sustainable Consumption database created by NASCA.
Dec 17th 2003:
Sustainable Consumption and Production database launched
The North America Sustainable Consumption Alliance (NASCA) has launched it's Sustainable Consumption and Production database, which is available at http://www.p2win.org/NASCA. The database aims at facilitating cooperation among organizations in Canada, United States and Mexico that are interested in promoting sustainable consumption and production. For the first time, Internet users can access a single web site to find information about sustainable consumption and production initiatives and programs throughout North America. The Database is also intended as a resource for citizens to learn about projects or initiatives that they can support, join, or replicate in their own community.
Read the press release of Integrative Strategies Forum
Dec 10th 2003:
UNEP holds civil society consultations
The UNEP RONA (Regional Office for North America) organized a consultation with civil society on the topics of Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements at their offices in Washington DC. UNEP briefed the participants on the Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF) and the 5th Global Civil Society Forum, which will be held in Korea between March 27th - 31st 2004, and received their feedback on the topics mentioned. The discussions focused on integrated water resource management, sustainable consumption of water, water and human rights etc. In addition to the moderator's summary, the participants also agreed to draft a Civil Society Statement for the GMEF - which could act as the region's input into the Global Civil Society Statement.
October 1st 2003:
Strategy meeting at UNEP RONA
The Sustainable Production and Consumption Working Group held an informal strategy meeting at the Washington DC office of the United Nations Environment Programme. The participants discussed coordination needed for the 12th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the International Expert Meeting on Sustainable Production and Consumption, the Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the North American Sustainable Consumption Alliance.
July - September 2003:
Survey of SPAC projects
The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), the Commission of Environmental Cooperation, the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention, Environment Canada, Lowell Center, Integrative Strategies Forum, University of Sonora and the United Nations Environment Programme are partners in a project to create an online database of sustainable production and consumption (SPAC) initiatives in North America. For details on the project, or to include your organization's initiatives, contact vramani@isforum.org
June 16 - 19 2003:
International expert meeting on SPAC
CitNet SPAC Working Group member Integrative Strategies Forum took part in the international experts meeting on sustainable production and consumption held in Marrakech, Morocco on June 16 – 19 2003.
April and May 2003:
SPAC side events
CitNet SPAC Working Group member Integrative Strategies Forum organized side events on Sustainable Production and Consumption at the Environment for Europe conference (held at Kyiv, Ukraine in May 2003) and at the 11th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (held at New York in April 2003)
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Report from the workshop in Kyiv: "Towards Sustainable Production and Consumption in the ECE region"
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Report from the workshop in Kyiv: "Changing Production and Consumption Strategies – National Strategies, the CSD and the 10-year framework"
April 28 – May 9 2003:
SPAC Caucus meetings at CSD 11
Various CitNet SPAC Working Group members attended the meetings of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Caucus ( SPAC Caucus ) held on several days during the 11th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. For more information on the Caucus, or to join the Caucus, email vramani@isforum.org
April 21 2003:
SPAC strategy meeting for CSD 11
The CitNet SPAC Working Group organized a meeting titled “The Ten Year Framework on Sustainable Production and Consumption†at the United Nations Environmental Program’s Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA). The meeting reviewed the current state of discussions on developing the ten year framework of programs on sustainable production and consumption, as proposed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg last year. It also discussed what ideas and actions US and other civil society organizations can contribute to this global effort.
August 27 2002:
SPAC side event at WSSD
CitNet co-organized a SPAC related side event on Sustainable Production and Consumption at the World Summit on Sustainable Development on behalf of the International Coalition on Sustainable Production and Consumption ( ICSPAC ). This roundtable discussion commemorated the release of the civil society report “ Waiting for Delivery â€.
Feb 28 2002:
SPAC Public issue forum
CitNet organized a public issue forum titled “US Progress on Production and Consumption†in order to ascertain citizen views on the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The issue group included presentations from Consumers International. Friends of the Earth and the Center for a New American Dream.
Contact: Jeffrey Barber
Tel: 301-588-5550
email: jbarber@isforum.org
