Towards sustainable consumption patterns : a progress report on member country initiatives. / Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, author.

Contributor:

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Content Provider.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Consumption (Economics)--Government policy--OECD countries.

Consumption (Economics).

Consumption (Economics)--Environmental aspects--OECD countries.

Environmental policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (56 p. )

Place of Publication:

Paris, France : Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, [1998]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Addressing unsustainable patterns of consumption is a crucial challenge for OECD Member countries in tackling environmental problems. However, measures to influence consumer demand have, in the past, received less attention than measures to influence production patterns. This progress report provides an initial overview of the broad array of policies and policy instruments which OECD Member countries are already using or considering to influence consumer demand for certain goods and services. These include a wide range of regulatory, economic and social policy instruments, as well as other actions by government, such as capital investment and the use of the land-use planning system. Such actions often form part of Member countries' strategies to tackle major environmental problems, such as climate change. This report reviews currently available information on the success of Member country initiatives in influencing consumption patterns. It finds that detailed information on the effectiveness of these policies is still limited, partly because many of the measures have only recently been put in place. It also identifies next steps for the OECD and for its Member countries, both to improve knowledge of policy initiatives and to take more effective action to influence consumption patterns.

Contents:

1. INTRODUCTION

Origins of report

Scope of report

2. CONTEXT FOR CHANGING CONSUMPTION PATTERNS

Trends in consumption patterns

Trends in production

Debates and national policies on sustainable consumption

Role of other actors

3. ACTIONS BY OECD MEMBER COUNTRIES

Types of initiatives to influence consumption patterns

Choice of examples

Regulation

Economic instruments

Social instruments

Other government action

Packages of measures

Addressing small and medium enterprises

4. EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF MEMBER COUNTRY INITIATIVES

How successful overall are Member country initiatives in modifying consumption patterns?

How successful are specific Member country initiatives?

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews

OECD work on Individual Travel Behaviour

Australian experience

Public information campaigns in the Netherlands

Ecolabelling

5. NEXT STEPS

Next steps for Member countries

Next steps for the OECD

APPENDIX A

Paragraph 28 of the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21adopted by the UN General Assembly Special Session on Sustainable Development, New York, June 1997

APPENDIX B

OECD Work Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [52]-54).

ISBN:

92-64-16266-6