The objective of the Workshop was to identify a provisional core set of indicators to measure changes in consumption and production patterns. The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), at its third session in 1995, adopted the International Work Programme on Changing Consumption and Production Patterns, which identifies the need to develop indicators to measure changes in consumption and production patterns. The Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, adopted by the General Assembly at its Nineteenth Special Session on 23-27 June 1997, includes a request to the Secretariat and governments to "develop core indicators to monitor critical trends in consumption and production patterns, with industrialized countries taking the lead".

Outcome

The outcome of the Workshop, including conclusions and policy recommendations, will be an input to the CSD Work Programme on Indicators of Sustainable Development, and the revision of its set of indicators of sustainable development in 1999-2000.

The report of the Workshop was made available to the CSD at its seventh session in 1999, as part of the comprehensive review of chapter 4 of Agenda 21, "Changing Consumption and Production Patterns".

Changing Consumption and Production Patterns

In the years since the 1992 Earth Summit, much attention has been focused on ways to change consumption and production patterns to make them more sustainable and to assess the economic and social impact of changing consumption and production in both developing and developed countries.

Sustainable consumption and production are essentially two sides of the same coin. Sustainable consumption addresses the demand side, examining how goods and services required to meet peoples' needs and improve the quality of life can be delivered in a way that reduces the burden on the environment. The emphasis of sustainable production is on the supply side, focusing on improving environmental performance in key economic sectors such as agriculture, energy, industry, tourism and transport.

Decision makers need information on consumption and production patterns for policy making relating to sustainable development. In many countries and organizations, a large variety of data exists on specific issues related to consumption and production patterns. However, international agreement on a common set of core indicators, could facilitate policy making and more common understanding about the topic at the national, local, regional and global levels.

Participants

 Participants at the Workshop included policy makers and experts on changing production and consumption patterns and indicators of sustainable development, from Governments, international organizations and major groups, including the business and research communities and NGO's.

Outcome

The outcome of the Workshop was a provisional core set of 17 indicators for changing consumption and production patterns. The core set and other conclusions from the Workshop are included in the report "Measuring Changes in Consumption and Production Patterns- A Set of Indicators".