Sustainable consumption and prodcution The consumers perspective EESC

Sustainable consumption and prodcution The consumer’s perspective EESC Public Hearing on SCP 10 December 2008 Sylvia Maurer Project Coordinator - Environment & Safety Deparment BEUC, the EU Consumers’ Organisation

Urgent need for actions 4 main areas of environmental impacts: ü The food we eat ü The way we run our homes ü The way we get round ü The way we travel Source: May 2006 study on EIPRO 70 -80% of impacts

Failure of sustainable policies ü No link with other policies ü Not all actors are involved ü Unbalanced and insufficient focus on production side ü Consumption side inadequately addressed ü Consumer demand seen as main driver

What consumers (say they) want ü 75% of EU consumers are prepared to buy environmentally friendly products (even if more expensive) ü Only 17% purchase ‘green’ products on a regular basis ü Though increased sales of Ecolabelled and organic products

Why don’t consumers act? ü Hardly trust governments’ and industry’s messages ü Not sure their action will make a difference ü Do not want to act alone ü Costs of acting ü Cannot easily find ‘green’ products ü Mislead by industry claims and green-wash

Keys to success ü Integrate the EU SCP policy framework with other EU policies ü Ensure coherence and synergies between existing policies ü Address all aspects of sustainability, not only environmental ones ü Take both production and consumption with equal ambition

The triangle of change The “I will if you will” concept

A policy tool box is needed ü Regulations (& voluntary guidelines): increased product standards, regulated claims… ü Economic or market-based instruments, GPP and product benchmarks ü Labelling of products ü ‘Social marketing’: use of business marketing techniques for the social good ü ‘Choice editing’: + sustainable products on shelves ü Formal education

What we expect from the implementation of the SCP ü Ambitious measures ü Eco-design should cover non-energy related products and all environmentally relevant aspects ü Eco-label needs to be strengthened, provisions on third-party testing, chemicals and precautionary principle has to be kept ü Energy Label layout from A-G must be kept; Label should become more dynamic ü Retail Forum: ambitious objectives, monitoring

Sylvia Maurer Project Coordinator - Environment and Safety Department sma@beuc. eu - 02 743 15 93