Ninth Africa roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP-9)

The Ninth African Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP-9) was held from 29 May to 1 June 2016, with more than 200 participants, consisting of sustainable consumption and production practitioners, the national focal points for the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP), SWITCH Africa Green implementing partners and development partners.

The roundtable was opened by Mr. Ephraim Kamuntu, Ugandan Minister for Water and Environment. In his opening address, the Minister highlighted the fact that African countries needed to pay particular attention to the conservation and efficient use of their natural resources. He further stressed the critical importance of the work being done under the ARSCP network and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other development partners in facilitating Africa’s transition to a more sustainable society.

Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the Country Representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ms. Almaz Gebru, drew attention to the specific attention paid to sustainable consumption and production in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which needed to be implemented in an integrated manner. She expressed appreciation for the ongoing collaboration among United Nations system entities in Uganda and said that United Nations country teams continued to support the country.

Mr. Desta Mebratu, Deputy Regional Director, UNEP, delivered opening remarks on behalf of his organization. He acknowledged African countries’ growing appreciation of the critical importance of the transition to low-carbon, resource-efficient economies and noted that work on the transition to sustainable consumption and production provided a useful opportunity to facilitate the integrated achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. He also noted the importance of sustainable consumption and production in supporting and strengthening institutions, including National Cleaner Production Centres, and in enabling them to redefine their scope and package of services in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

ARSCP-9 addressed various elements needed to promote the uptake of sustainable consumption and production. Mr. Charles-Arden-Clarke, Head of the 10YFP secretariat, presented the 10YFP, emphasizing the importance of sustainable consumption and production for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The sustainable consumption and production targets were highlighted, along with the proposed indicators for tracking progress towards their achievement. The ARSCP secretariat presented the revised Africa 10YFP, highlighting the priority activities identified in the African Regional Roadmap for the 10YFP, as well as the implementation and monitoring framework envisaged.

With regard to transitioning to a green economy in Africa, national green economy strategies were discussed, with a focus on the Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan for Kenya. The “Operationalizing Green Economy Transition in Africa” project being implemented at the subnational level in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kenya and Ghana was also discussed.

To address Africa’s needs and priorities, the following issues were discussed: affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; responsible consumption and production; industry innovation and infrastructure; and sustainable cities and communities.

The enabling policy framework for the transition to a green economy and the promotion of sustainable consumption and production practices and patterns in Africa was also discussed. This was followed by a policy dialogue on support for green business development in Africa. Tools for green business development in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises were discussed and case studies presented.

Ongoing initiatives supporting the scale-up of sustainable consumption and production in the African region were considered, with case studies from various countries presented. Worthy of note were (1) the experience of Kenya in developing eco-innovation policies in Africa; (2) the experience gained from the implementation of the Green Jobs Programme in Zambia in the building construction sector; and (3) a case study from Mauritius on the use of sustainable consumption and production indicators.