Sustainable consumption and production

Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is at the core of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically addressed by SDG 12. This goal aims to "ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns," acting as a cross-cutting theme that feeds into other SDGs such as those related to climate change, poverty, health, and sustainable cities.

SCP involves using services and products in a way that minimizes environmental damage, preserves natural resources, and promotes social equity. The purpose is to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, which means pursuing economic development in a way that can be sustained by the planet over the long term. SCP requires changes at all levels of society, from individuals to businesses to governments.

At the individual level, SCP implies making lifestyle choices that reduce environmental impact. This might include reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, choosing products with less packaging, and opting for more sustainable forms of transport like cycling or public transport.

For businesses, SCP entails adopting sustainable business models and practices. This could include improving resource efficiency, investing in renewable energy, designing products that are durable and recyclable, and ensuring fair labor practices.

At the government level, SCP involves implementing policies that support sustainable business practices and incentivize sustainable consumer behavior. This might involve regulations to reduce pollution, subsidies for renewable energy, and campaigns to raise awareness about sustainable consumption.

SCP also plays a role in several other SDGs. For example, sustainable production practices can help mitigate climate change (SDG 13) by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, by reducing the pressure on natural resources, SCP supports the goals related to life below water (SDG 14) and life on land (SDG 15).

While progress has been made in certain areas, challenges remain in achieving the shift towards SCP. These include existing patterns of overconsumption, limited awareness about the impacts of consumption, and the need for technological innovation to enable more sustainable production.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7, 11, and 13, by presenting the direct integration of solar photovoltaic energy with food production, supporting cleaner, more sustainable agriculture, with decreased impact on climate change.
An Article in support of SDGs 2, 13, and 15, assessing the environmental consequences and nutritional contributions of national food-based dietary guidelines while considering circular food system principles
Edible film, with unique biodegradable and renewable characteristics, is considered a potential alternative for petroleum-derived polymer packaging. The review provides an overview on the various aspects of edible film, such as the film formulation, source of materials, film characteristic as well as safety and regulations of edible film applications.
Brewer's spent grain (BSG), a protein-rich agro-industrial by-product, was used to develop edible film. The effect of pH and protein concentration on the physical properties of films were studied. While high pH favors the increase in the protein film's solubility, with increased tensile strength, elongation at break, and puncture strength; swelling capacity, water activity, and water vapor permeability (WVP) decreased with increasing pH. Increased concentrations of protein in films resulted in enhanced moisture content, mechanical properties, and water activity. Furthermore, the transparency values of films were increased by increasing pH and decreased by increasing the protein concentration.
World Smart Energy Week is the world’s leading comprehensive B-to-B trade show for smart and renewable energy held twice a year in Japan. The show aims to provide a platform for professionals from across Japan, Asia, and the world to negotiate and network for the future of smart and renewable energy business. This supports SDG 9: to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
This Series paper supports SDG 3 and 11 by calculating spatial indicators of urban design and transport features that support health and sustainability for 25 diverse cities in 19 countries.
Water resources and climatic conditions are important in maintaining sustainable agricultural production. Clarifying the important role of food linking the water and carbon cycles promotes the development of sustainable agriculture. Different food consumption patterns, especially one involving a high proportion of animal-based foods, indirectly affect water consumption and green house gas (GHG) emissions. A diet with a high proportion of plant-based foods is confirmed to benefit the environment; reducing the current overconsumption of animal-based foods can both benefit human health and alleviate the climate and water crises. Furthermore, the implementation of an environmentally friendly diet requires consideration of nutrients, cost acceptability, and local food production conditions.
Elsevier,

Julia Derx, Rita Linke, Domenico Savio, Monica Emelko, Philip Schmidt, Jack Schijven, Liping Pang, Regina Sommer, Margaret Stevenson, Harold van den Berg, Saskia Rutjes, Andreas H. Farnleitner, Alfred Paul Blaschke, From Groundwater to Drinking Water – Current Approaches for Microbial Monitoring and Risk Assessment in Porous Aquifers, Encyclopedia of Inland Waters (Second Edition), Elsevier, 2022, Pages 580-594, ISBN 9780128220412

This chapter supports SDG 6 by summarizing the current approaches for evaluating pathogen fate and transport in the environment, their removal during subsurface transport in porous aquifers and the needed infection protection to achieve safe drinking water.
Elsevier,

Encyclopedia of Inland Waters, Second Edition, Volume 4, 2022, Pages 47-57

This chapters advances SDG goals 11 and 12 by highlighting the pressures posed by agricultural activities to inland water systems. It discusses each of the pressures considering the trade-offs between productivity and environmental impacts.
A Review on the association between agricultural food production and hunting practices and zoonotic disease outbreaks, in the context of SDGs 3, 12, and 15, highlighting the need to redesign the global food system to reduce the threat of future outbreaks.

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