Towards REDUCTIONS
A critical aspect of sustainable consumption and production is a global reduction in the quantity of materials and energy consumption to within ecological limits. Sustainable “non-use”, “capping”, “decoupling”, “sufficiency” are concepts closely related to absolute reductions in material and energy throughput.
This project has as objectives to identify, describe and analyse approaches to reduction in material throughput in production-consumption systems. The aim is to demonstrate material reduction that could be applied to as many sectors and through as varied intervention nodes as possible, to highlight effective characteristics and implementation mechanisms of reduction policies and/or practices, and suggest approaches on how to measure reduction.
The Japanese government is considering developing “reduction” oriented policies for itself, and to fund activities for countries through international policy forums with outcomes geared towards reduction. Publications resulting from this project would serve as reference material for the aforementioned purpose.
This project has as objectives to identify, describe and analyse approaches to reduction in material throughput in production-consumption systems. The aim is to demonstrate material reduction that could be applied to as many sectors and through as varied intervention nodes as possible, to highlight effective characteristics and implementation mechanisms of reduction policies and/or practices, and suggest approaches on how to measure reduction.
The Japanese government is considering developing “reduction” oriented policies for itself, and to fund activities for countries through international policy forums with outcomes geared towards reduction. Publications resulting from this project would serve as reference material for the aforementioned purpose.
APPROACH
The project uses a SCP approach; for purposes of practical policy design, it would focus on three intervention nodes, namely:
The project uses a SCP approach; for purposes of practical policy design, it would focus on three intervention nodes, namely:
- Reduction in resource extraction and production (e.g. to achieve decoupling or resource efficiency, capping, non-use);
- Reduction in (quantity of material) use and consumption (e.g. sustainable lifestyles, non-use); and
- Reduction of waste generation (e.g. through design for environment (DfE), or 3Rs)