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.

Green technologies (e.g., green preservation, processing, extraction, and analysis) and Industry 4.0 (e.g., artificial intelligence, big data, smart sensors, robotics, blockchain, and the Internet of Things) technologies rapidly becoming a valuable part of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)over the past decade. These technologies demonstrate high potential to foster ecological and digital transitions of food systems, delivering societal, economic, and environmental outcomes. While a range of green technologies has already provided innovative solutions for major food system transformations, the application of digital and other Industry 4.0 technological innovations is yet to be adopted to harness their full potential to achieve a healthier, smart, more sustainable, and more resilient food future.
The research seeks to estimate biogas production potential from livestock and slaughterhouse wastes in Ghana, in order to promote biogas technology as a possible alternative in the search for sustainable energy management methods and in support of the SDG goals.
Elsevier,

Environmental Advances, Volume 10, December 2022

This article supports SDG's 2, 3 and 12 by considering production steps (cell extraction, cell line establishment, cell culture and scaffolding) and challenges (technology limitations, consumer acceptance & law and legislation) for the development of lLab-based meat, which is more sustainable and safer to consume than conventional meat.
This study attempts to investigate the suitability of the Wabe river water for Agricultural and Industrial purpose.
Consumer behaviour towards nanopackaging, one of the most promising trends in food packaging, is systematically reviewed. Social norms, social concerns, and social media behavior are the social factors that drive consumer behaviour; while motivation, perception, learning, attitudes and beliefs, personality, and habits are the main psychological factors driving the consumer decision on buying or adopting the new trend in food packaging. Efforts supported by scientific evidence are needed to raise the awareness, knowledge and trust of consumers to improve consumers perception of sustainable packaging solutions.
Elsevier,

Resilient and Sustainable Cities: Research, Policy and Practice, 2022, Pages 519-535

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 11, 12, and 13 by offering two alternate approaches to Western planning—city making informed by biophilic systems and First Nations values—through Australian case studies that have similar systems of thought, aspirations, and values. The challenge is for use to adapt (or retrofit) our cities to redress climate change and our consumption values toward crafting robust, resilient, respectful and sustainable places.
Biofilms are a major challenge for the food industry, due to their ability to contaminate surfaces. Foam flow cleaning successfully removed a significant part of one-day biofilms grown on stainless steel surfaces. Life cycle analyses showed that the foam flow process reduces all environmental impacts, mainly due to the reduction in water and energy consumption, which is a crucial contemporary issue.
Elsevier,

Plastics and Sustainability: Practical Approaches, 2023, Pages 1-43

This chapter aligns with Goal 3: Good health and well-being and Goal 12: Responsible consumption by providing an overview of types of commodity plastics, plastics and microplastics pollution, and availability of recycling methods.
Elsevier,

Food Process Engineering Principles and Data, 2022, pp 425-432

This chapter aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation by exploring the role of the food industry as a major consumer of water and energy.
For COP 27, RELX's Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, Dr. Márcia Balisciano, speaks to Corey Peterson

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