Beyond Covid-19: Transitioning to Sustainable Production and Consumption
Research, policy initiatives and practices continue to explore paths forward to a sustainable world
The year 2020 imposed a tragic setback throughout the world -- as if the climate crisis, global poverty, political extremism and injustice were not enough of a challenge. Nevertheless, sustainability researchers, policymakers, educators and practitioners have not given up but continue in their commitment to exploring strategies and approaches to better understand and identify resilient paths forward, within and across besieged economic sectors and ecosystems.
Participants in the GRF community are working at local, national, regional and international levels confronting the many barriers to economic and physical well-being, equity and the means for communities to access and employ the tools, knowledge and justice needed to achieve the world's sustainability goals.
GRF will continue to build on the many discussions and knowledge-sharing events and projects taking place since its official launch in 2012. As a global community of practice, GRF remains committed to helping identify, develop and promote the tools, policies, processes and ideas involved in the transition to sustainable systems and practices, lifestyles and livelihoods in food, transportation, energy, buildings, clothing, cultural production and communications.
The year 2020 imposed a tragic setback throughout the world -- as if the climate crisis, global poverty, political extremism and injustice were not enough of a challenge. Nevertheless, sustainability researchers, policymakers, educators and practitioners have not given up but continue in their commitment to exploring strategies and approaches to better understand and identify resilient paths forward, within and across besieged economic sectors and ecosystems.
Participants in the GRF community are working at local, national, regional and international levels confronting the many barriers to economic and physical well-being, equity and the means for communities to access and employ the tools, knowledge and justice needed to achieve the world's sustainability goals.
GRF will continue to build on the many discussions and knowledge-sharing events and projects taking place since its official launch in 2012. As a global community of practice, GRF remains committed to helping identify, develop and promote the tools, policies, processes and ideas involved in the transition to sustainable systems and practices, lifestyles and livelihoods in food, transportation, energy, buildings, clothing, cultural production and communications.
The Global Research Forum on Sustainable Production and Consumption (GRF) brings together individuals and organizations engaged in research and its applications on the transition towards sustainable production/consumption systems from various regions of the world. It builds on more than twenty years of research tradition on sustainable production and consumption by numerous researchers, institutes, and networks around the world, and on many successful attempts to apply research findings into policy, civil society, and business.
GRF Activities
GRF 4rd International Conference
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 2019/6/26-29. GRF's conference, "Transforming Production and Consumption: Bridging Sustainability Research with Policy and Practice," focused on the inter-linkages between knowledge creation and implementation, through policy, business and practice. The Hong Kong 2019 conference built on previous GRF regional meetings and workshops and the three previous international GRF conferences, exploring future scenarios and opportunities.
GRF 3rd International Conference
University of Sussex, Brighton, UK 2017/06/27 - 29 GRF's 2017 conference, "Sustainable Lifestyles, Livelihoods and the Sustainable Economy", convened researchers, develop-ment practitioners, policy makers and representatives from business, government and civil society to explore critical links between the circular economy, sustainable lifestyles and livelihoods and the Sustainable Development Goals, examining the potential for, pathways to, and politics of advancing a global transition from the current linear “throw-away” model to sustainable production and consumption systems and practices in “circular economies.” 
Attaining the Sustainable Development Policy Goals
National University of Singapore 2016/11/09 - 11 GRF organized a panel highlighting approaches to SDG 12 at this conference hosted by NUS, with presentations from Patrick Schneider, Philip Vergragt and Jeffrey Barber. Mobilizing Research for Sustainable Lifestyles (MORE SL) launched! MORE SL is a project of the Research Consortium on Sustainable Lifestyles (RCSL), instituted in 2015 under the auspices of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP).
2015/11/20 - The Advancing Research and Education on Sustainable Lifestyles workshop in Vienna, Austria brought together key participants in MORE-SL in order to develop a coherent understanding of the role of sustainable lifestyle research and education within the transition to sustainable production and consumption systems and to develop strategies and working plans. |
SPAC in the NewsA Review of Sustainable Consumption (2000 to 2020): What We Know and What We Need to Know
21 September, 2020 in Journal of Global Marketing This recent review of the research literature on sustainable consumption considered the various theories and methodologies focused on this concept over the past two decades, noting that these studies are "still in their infancy and need further development." Trends in Sustainable Consumption: Review & Research Agenda
July 23, 2020 in Sustainability, 12. This summer researchers from Milan, Italy shared their systematic review of the literature and research trends focused on sustainable consumption, noting that "research on consumers and sustainability is strong and heterogeneous" while noting the need for future research to "spotlight the less explored frameworks." 
2018/07/09-18 - The United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) met in New York with more than 125 high-level government representatives and more than 2,000 NGO representatives, including several GRF members.
2015/09/17 - The Huffington Post's recent piece on Sustainable Development Goals (What's Working SDG blog series) comments on new approaches to negotiating intergovernmental action on SPaC, and what it means for sustainable development as a whole.
2015/05/29 - The Guardian reports on a new study by Market Analysis, Brazil, which reveals the extent of greenwashing in the country's consumer market, with only 15% of green claims supported by third-party certifications.
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Upcoming EventsChatham House Circular Economy Conference 2021
2021/02/24 and 25 Registration for the 2nd annual #circulareconomy conference is now live. It's a free event open to everyone to participate. The conference will try to tackle the questions: "Can an inclusive circular economy reconcile the tension between economic growth and sustainability?" and "Does a Circular Economy Transition mean less or more global trade?", as well as discuss how to make circular economy finance work for global development. This year, the conference takes place on Chatham House's new bespoke online events platform, where you will be able to access more event information, and network with speakers and other attendees. Follow this link for more information: https://lnkd.in/gVFKYC8 
"Connecting the Dots: Creating an Enabling Environment for SDG12 in ASEM"
The Asia-Europe ENVforum Annual Conference 2020 takes place 9-11 November, with new perspectives on the topics of Single-use Plastic, Sustainable Garments and Sustainable Food Production, all in the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Register here. 
ECOSOC Partnership Forum 2021
In addition to addressing SDG12 in the UN's 2030 Agenda, GRF is also engaged in implementing SDG17, as one of the members of the SDG Partnerships Platform. While the 2020 ECOSOC Partnership Forum was cancelled due to Covid-19, the 2021 Partnership Forum is on schedule to take place on May 3, 2021 in New York during ECOSOC's 2021 session. |