Project activities
The project activities include the development of a baseline report, a dialogue series focused on the high-impact areas, a launch and a closing conference, a strategy workshop with the European Commission and the European Environment Agency personnel, and finally an online discussion platform.
Background report
The background report contains detailed information on the three focus areas (housing, mobility, food and drink). The most important trends in these areas and the impacts as well as drivers of these trends are presented. Cross-cutting core action areas including effective policy implementation and innovative policy instruments, more finance for SCP, enhancing dissemination of sustainable technologies, and creative instruments for behaviour change are discussed within each focus area. The report provides information on the EU action plan and reasons for CSO involvement in SCP.
The objective of the report is to highlight the importance and potential of this topic area i.e. SCP to civil society organisations. The baseline report serves as an input to the conferences and workshops, and as background information for discussion in the online platform.
Download the background document (pdf, 6,9 Mb) here
Launch conference and dialogue series I
The launch conference was organised by REC, CSCP and CfSD and it was held on the 13th and 14th October 2008, in Szentendre, Hungary. The objectives of the conference were the following:
- To enhance visibility of and launch the Civil Society Platform on SCP;
- To raise awareness regarding SCP among civil society organisations (CSOs);
- To highlight the importance of SCP in EC's Sustainable Development Strategy and related initiatives;
- To start shaping the discussions for the forthcoming impact area Workshops on housing, food & drink and mobility.
The conference programme contained presentations, panel discussions and a dialogue series. The topics of the panel discussions were the role of CSOs in SCP and the significance of the three focus areas (housing, mobility, food and drink). The dialogue series concentrated on trends, impacts and drivers of these three focus areas as well as actions to be taken in SCP by CSOs. Both of the dialogue sessions were divided into three impact area focused groups.
There was also a background report for this opening event. You can download the conference agenda and the background paper here as a pdf form.
Download the conference agenda here
Download the conference report (pdf, 2.7Mb) here
Dialogue series II: From Dialogue to Action
"Dialogue and Action Platform for Sustainable Consumption and Production" Conference was held in Wuppertal, Germany, on 16-18th of March 2009.
The target groups of the conference were civil society organisations, researchers and policy makers interested in and working with sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and sustainable lifestyles. The Conference programme was lively, interactive and participatory. It included the following topics and workshops:
- How to promote SCP policy processes? Update on the recent developments related to SCP public policy processes and reflect on the role of civil society at these various levels of policy making.
- How to promote sustainable living in the consumers and in the city level? Following inspiring case presentations, new ideas and project concepts to promote behaviour change in the impact areas of food, housing and mobility will be discussed and generated.
- What is the latest in SCP research? How can research support civil society? Presentations and best cases on different SCP research and public policy instruments, followed by active discussion and feedback.
- What are the research needs for more effective civil society actions? Discuss the research needs of civil society organisations, the most effective CSO strategies to work towards SCP, and how to support these strategies with more collaboration between researchers and civil society.
- Making the case against economic growth and starting actions beyond growth. Discussion on the degrowth debate and the role of the civil society: strategies and list of actions.
- Creative and collaborative instruments for sustainable lifestyles. What role foundations and funding agencies play to encourage actions towards SCP? Panel discussion on current activities and innovative tools that can trigger action towards SCP.
- Blueprint for European SCP. Discussion in collaboration with the European Environment Bureau (EEB) on a Blueprint setting out the objectives for EU SCP, and identifying the key elements and actions needed to happen.
- Opening the Marketplace of Ideas: Let’s do it! Formulating ideas for collective action. A platform for CSOs and the research community for idea generation and exchange. You can also bring your own experience and projects to the Marketplace!
Download the conference agenda here
Download the conference report here (5Mb)
Dialogue series III: Closing conference and EU strategy workshop
The objective of the closing conference and EU strategy workshop is to discuss with the EC, the EEA and other European organisations the future research agenda, the implementation of processes, programmes and action plans and deliberative processes to involve CSOs in SCP. The confrence will draw conclusions for the future research agenda and for the implementation of programs and action plans. Participants will explore the future research agenda in relation to the implementation of processes, programmes and action plans.
The closing conference will be organised on 7-9th of December 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. For more information, see the 'news' section of this website.
The online platform “get involved”
Between the face-to-face meetings, CSOs will be able to continue the discussion
and networking in the online platform. Registered users can also comment on the workshop and conference agendas and propose speakers and changes to the agenda. See the “get involved” section of this website to find out more.
