By Sanjay Tugnait | April 2022
Consumption and production of goods and services worldwide rely on the natural environment and plentiful resources. This has allowed economies and societies to flourish; however, it is a delicate balance of growth and environmental degradation. According to the U.N., if the global population reaches the projected 9.6 billion by 2050, three Earth’s worth of resources could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain our current way of life. This may seem shocking, but it is possible to prevent this eventuality through responsible consumption and production.
Responsible consumption and production hinges upon the idea of being more efficient with less. It also is about severing the failures of economic growth that cause environmental degradation and instead establishing resource efficiency and sustainability as normative practice for both economic affairs and everyday lifestyles
A few facts and figures:
Each year, an estimated one third of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices.
If people worldwide switched to energy efficient light bulbs the world would save US$120 billion annually.
Should the global population reach 9.6 billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost three planets could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles.
According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, these are some of the solutions to Sustainable Consumption and Production:
Implement the 10-year responsible consumption and production framework
Sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
Responsible management of chemicals and waste
Eliminate waste from procurement to all stages of the supply chain.
Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and sustainability reporting
Promote sustainable procurement practices
Promote universal understanding of sustainable lifestyles
Identify hot spots in the value chain where interventions have the greatest potential to improve the environmental and social impact of the systems as a whole.
Minimize carbon emissions at all stages of production (SDG 13: Climate Action).
Use energy-efficient lighting.
Ensure all supplies are sustainably sourced and certified.
Reduce the volume of packaging materials and invest in eco-friendly packaging.
Monitor the environmental impact at production and service sites and make adjustments accordingly.
Bring environmental health and safety to the forefront of your business.
At FCCCO, we are leading by example:
1. Hybrid Work Model
The sustainable hybrid workplace is proving to have a positive impact on the environment. With fewer employees coming to the office every day, the need for huge workspaces is significantly reduced. Smaller offices imply lower maintenance costs, & also less pollution.
2. Paperless Chamber of Commerce
FCCCO has gone completely paper-less, from our day-to-day operations to our event. With digital acceleration, we have established a work environment that does not rely on printed copies or paper trails.
3. Working with Member companies
We support our member companies to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production. FCCCO actively provides relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
4. Supporting Innovation
Through our innovation competition 'Les Innovateurs', the chamber supports innovation around the use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants.
Reach out to us at contact@fccco.org to know how FCCCO can help achieve your Sustainable Consumption and Production goals and help sustainability take roots at the core of your operations.
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