Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A guidance framework for mainstreaming resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production in a developing country context

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mainstreaming represents an integrated, cross government agency approach to incorporating an issue into programmes and policies. Mainstreaming of resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production (SCP and RE) has been identified to be essential to ensuring the development of policies, programmes, actions and initiatives with a wider reaching set of outcomes than if these were to be undertaken on their own. This paper outlines a guidance framework which was developed to support practitioners, champions and UN support teams on mainstreaming of SCP and RE. The framework is based on the programmatic approach to environmental mainstreaming which has been developed through wide-ranging experience on other environment and poverty-environment related topics. The approach presented here is not linear, and each of the elements requires ongoing evaluation and updating. In addition, it is identified that mainstreaming of SCP and RE should form part of overall environmental mainstreaming efforts. Furthermore, unless a country has already developed a national SCP programme, the development of such a programme and the mainstreaming process discussed in this current document should be done in parallel, not as separate processes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • GEF Global Support Programme. (2005). Resource Kit for National Capacity Self-Assessment. United Nations Development Programme.

  • International Institute for Environment and Development. (2008). Producing a ‘User Guide’ to effective approaches to environmental mainstreaming—tools and tactics for the real world: Project Document, IIED, 31 January 2008.

  • UNDP-UNEP. (2009). Mainstreaming poverty-environment linkages into development planning: A handbook for practitioners, ISBN 978-92-807-2962-7. http://www.unep.org. Accessed March 2009.

  • UNDP-UNEP Poverty and Environment Initiative. http://www.unpei.org. Accessed March 2009.

  • United Nations Development Programme. (2003). Partnering Toolbook. www.undp.org/partners/business/PartneringToolbook%5B1%5D.pdf. Accessed March 2009.

  • United Nations Development Programme. (2007). Capacity Assessment Methodology User’s Guide, UNDP.

  • United Nations Environment Programme. (2005). Communicating Sustainability, How to produce effective public campaigns, accessed online at http://www.comminit.com/en/node/220600.

  • United Nations Environment Programme. (2008a). Planning for Change: Guidelines for National Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, UNEP: Paris, ISBN: 978-92-807-2899-6. http://www.unep.fr/scp/publications/details.asp?id=DTI/1028/PA. Accessed March 2009.

  • United Nations Environment Programme. (2008b), Sustainable consumption and production indicators for developing countries: A guidance framework. www.unep.fr/scp/poverty/publications. Accessed March 2009. Publication is available in English, French and Spanish.

Additional Resources

Download references

Acknowledgments

This paper represents a summary of a study funded by the United Nations Environment Programme, http://www.unep.org/ entitled “Mainstreaming Sustainable Consumption and Production and Resource Efficiency (SCP and RE) into Development Planning”. Permission has been obtained from UNEP for replication of components of this work in an academic journal context. The author wishes to acknowledge the input of both UNEP’s Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch (in particular Esther Reilink) and the UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative in the development of the framework. Tom Farole and Michelle de Bruyn of Kaiser Associates, Cape Town, South Africa, and Assoc Prof Harro von Blottnitz of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town also made a substantial contribution to the body of work.

Disclaimer

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Green House, 18 Kemms Road, Wynberg, 7800, South Africa

    Brett Cohen

  2. Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Brett Cohen

Authors
  1. Brett Cohen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brett Cohen.

Additional information

Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3-months of publication of this issue.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cohen, B. A guidance framework for mainstreaming resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production in a developing country context. Environ Dev Sustain 12, 1051–1068 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-010-9241-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-010-9241-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation