The SCP framework forms one of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in September 2002.
Launched at a meeting of the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Waste Group, the document outlines the scope for further action on energy, water and waste sustainability. It seeks a “decoupling” of economic growth and environmental degradation through maximising the efficiency of UK production through waste minimisation within commerce and industry.
Speaking at the launch of the framework, DEFRA's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Lord Whitty, said: “This is an important issue, and to publish this document represents the first step towards raising the standards of living worldwide. The main objective is to achieve a decoupling of environmental damage from economic growth. This will be done through cost-effective measures deployed as early as possible in the life cycle of production to reduce the environmental impact.”
Stephen Timms, DTI minister with the responsibility for sustainable development and corporate responsibility, said that there was no point in increasing the UK's sustainability if its quality of life suffered as a result. But he said that the framework would see the government looking to show businesses the benefits of environmental sustainability.
He said: “The inefficient use of resources costs UK industry 3 billion a year. There is a huge opportunity here and the government has an important role in opening it up, and stimulating innovation is the cornerstone of our approach. Successfully decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation is now, we think, more in our grasp than ever before.”
Mr Timms said that the government would be working with British Glass among other businesses, to look at exactly how policies could be used to benefit each stage of the production process.
Alongside the SCP framework, the government launched a consultation into a set of decoupling indicators, seeking views by January 2004 into how best to measure the progress of the SCP framework.
For more information on the UK Government Framework for Sustainable Consumption and Production, as well as the accompanying consultation on decoupling indicators, visit the DEFRA website.
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