The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) annual conference 2018 will be held on 23-24 October 2018 in partnership with the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development of Poland. Main focus of the conference will be Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 “Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production” and the exploration of opportunities for a circular economy.
One of the central issues impeding the success of the 2030 Agenda are unsustainable consumption and production patterns. Consumption and production are the building blocks of an economy, and thus essential to economic growth and development. However, with the projected world population to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, current consumption and production patterns are detrimental to our environment. At this rate, the magnitude of natural resources required to meet the demands of the projected population is equivalent to almost three planets.As a shortage of natural resources looms, it is imperative to achieve SDG 12 and transition from linear to circular economic structures.
The conference program will cast light on different challenges and opportunities for sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns from various perspectives. Starting off with a panel on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) as the way forward, the first day will then continue with a discussion on the SDG implementation framework with focus on SCP and Business. The second part of day one will consist of three different workshops exploring SCP in the areas Plastic, Food, and Textile. The programme for the second day will tackle gender related issues in sustainable development and the recurring question of finance. The workshops for day two focus on Responsible Business, SDG Monitoring, and a Sustainable Lifestyle overall. The final panel of the conference will discuss localised solutions as a pathway towards a circular economy.
Through enhanced exchanges between multiple stakeholders, the ENVforum conference aims to contribute to a better understanding of the economic and political transition leading towards SDG 12 and a circular economy. The event will particularly support regional and international dialogue among ASEM Partners on sustainable development issues.
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