United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Vision for Sustainable Production and Consumption in Asia

Abstract

Cleaner Production (CP) has over the last few years become more and more of a household concept for both industry and governments in many countries. However, at the same time, it is becoming obvious that, while CP remains a key concept in achieving sustainable and efficient production, it is in itself not enough to actually go all the way towards a society based on the sustainable development approach. Consumption is often described as "the other side of the coin" in relation to production. Efficient production is a prerequisite for efficient consumption and it is equally true that the needs and desires of consumers dictates what is produced. An integrated approach to developing sustainable consumption and production has therefore been developed by the Unitec Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in close cooperation with many partners worldwide.