Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12 or Global Goal 12), titled "responsible consumption and production", is one of the 17

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

established by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

in 2015. The official wording of SDG 12 is "Ensure

sustainable consumption Sustainable consumption (sometimes abbreviated to "SC") is the use of products and services in ways that minimizes human impact on the environment, impacts on the environment. Sustainable consumption can be undertaken in such a way that needs are ...

and production patterns".United Nations (2017) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017, Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
A/RES/71/313
SDG 12 is meant to ensure good use of

resource ''Resource'' refers to all the materials available in our environment which are Technology, technologically accessible, Economics, economically feasible and Culture, culturally Sustainability, sustainable and help us to satisfy our needs and want ...

s, improve energy efficiency and sustainable

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...

, provide access to basic services, create green and decent jobs, and ensure a better

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

for all. SDG 12 has 11 targets to be achieved by at least 2030, and progress towards the targets is measured using 13 indicators. Sustainable Development Goal 12 has 11 targets. The first 8 are ''outcome targets'', which are: implement the 10‑Year Framework of Programs on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns; achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of

natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

s; reducing by half the

per capita ''Per capita'' is a Latin phrase literally meaning "by heads" or "for each head", and idiomatically used to mean "per person". Social statistics The term is used in a wide variety of social science, social sciences and statistical research conte ...

global

food waste The causes of food going uneaten are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during food production, production, food processing, processing, Food distribution, distribution, Grocery store, retail and food service sales, and Social clas ...

at the

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholes ...

and

consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or use purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

levels and the reduction of food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses; achieving the environmentally sound management of

chemicals A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

and all wastes throughout their life cycle; reducing

waste Waste are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor Value (economics), economic value. A wast ...

generation through prevention, reduction,

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

and reuse; encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices; promote public

procurement Procurement is the process of locating and agreeing to terms and purchasing goods, services, or other works from an external source, often with the use of a tendering or competitive bidding process. The term may also refer to a contractual ...

practices that are sustainable; and ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and

awareness In philosophy and psychology, awareness is the perception or knowledge of something. The concept is often synonymous with consciousness. However, one can be aware of something without being explicitly conscious of it, such as in the case of bli ...

for

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

. The three ''means of implementation targets Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License'' are: support

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...

to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity; develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts; and remove market distortions, like fossil fuel subsidies, that encourage wasteful consumption.United Nations (2017) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017, Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
A/RES/71/313
Countries are working towards the implementation of the "10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns". To ensure that plastic products are more sustainable, thus reducing

plastic waste Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. Plastics that act as pollutants are cate ...

, changes such as decreasing usage and increasing the circularity of the plastic economy are expected to be required. An increase in domestic recycling and a reduced reliance on the global plastic waste trade are other actions that might help meet the goal. Text was copied from this source, which is available under
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
/ref>

Background

Changes in consumption and production patterns can help to promote the decoupling of economic growth and human well-being from resource use and environmental impact. They can also trigger the transformations envisaged in global commitments on biodiversity, the climate, and sustainable development in general.United Nations Economic and Social Council. (2021, April 30). ''Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Report of the Secretary-General''. United Nations. https://undocs.org/en/E/2021/58

Targets, indicators and progress

SDG 12 has 11 targets. Four of them are to be achieved by the year 2030, one by the year 2020, and six have no target years. The targets address different issues ranging from implementing the 10‑Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (Target 12.1), achieving the sustainable management and efficient use of

s (Target 12.2), having

global

at the

and

levels (Target 12.3), achieving the environmentally sound management of

and all wastes throughout their life cycle (Target 12.4), substantially reduce

generation through prevention, reduction,

and reuse (Target 12.5), encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices (Target 12.6), promote public

practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities (Target 12.7), ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and

for

(12.8), support

to strengthen their scientific and technological capabilities (Target 12.a), develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable growth (Target 12.b), rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions (Target 12.c).

Target 12.1: Implement the 10-year sustainable consumption and production framework

The full title of Target 12.1 is: “Implement the 10‑Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with

developed countries A developed country, or advanced country, is a sovereign state that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations. Most commonly, the criteria for eval ...

taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries". The goal of this SDG is to have all countries taking the action by 2030. It has one indicator: Indicator 12.1.1 is the "Number of countries with sustainable consumption and production (SCP) national action plans or SCP mainstreamed as a priority or a target into national policies". Many countries are working towards the implementation of the "10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns".United Nations Economic and Social Council (2020
Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals Report of the Secretary-General
High-level political forum on sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (E/2020/57), 28 April 2020

Target 12.2: Sustainable management and use of natural resources

The full title of Target 12.2 is: "By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources." This target has two indicators: * Indicator 12.2.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP * Indicator 12.2.2: Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP Material Footprint is the quantity of material extraction that is required to meet the consumption of a country. The sum of material footprint for biomass,

fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologica ...

, metal ores and non-metal ores is called the total material footprint. Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) is a production-side measure which does not account for supply chain inputs or exports, meaning a country could have a lower DMC value, if it outsources a large proportion of its materials. A report by the UN in 2020 found that: "Global domestic material consumption per capita rose by 7 per cent, from 10.8 metric tons per capita in 2010 to 11.7 metric tons in 2017, with increases in all regions except Northern America and Africa."

Target 12.3: Halve global per capita food waste

The full title of Target 12.3 is: "By 2030, halve per capita global

at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses." This target has two components (losses and waste) measured by two indicators. * Indicator 12.3.1.a: Food Loss Index which focuses on losses from production to consumption level * Indicator 12.3.1.b: Food Waste Index this indicator is a proposal under development

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...

and the

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

measure progress towards this target. FAO found that "globally around 14 percent of the world’s food is lost from production before reaching the retail level".

Target 12.4: Responsible management of chemicals and waste

The full title of Target 12.4 is: "By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment." This target has two indicators: * Indicator 12.4.1: Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on

hazardous waste Hazardous waste is waste that must be handled properly to avoid damaging human health or the environment. Waste can be hazardous because it is Toxicity, toxic, Chemical reaction, reacts violently with other chemicals, or is Corrosion, corrosive, ...

, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement * Indicator 12.4.2: (a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment Global

e-waste Electronic waste (or e-waste) describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. It is also commonly known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or end-of-life (EOL) electronics. Used electronics which are destined for refurbi ...

generation has grown during 2010 to 2019: from 5.3 kg per capita to 7.3 kg per capita.  The "environmentally sound recycling of e-waste" also increased: from 0.8 kg per capita to 1.3 kg per capita.   Prague - trash bins 2

Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation

Per capita plastic waste generation Jambeck et al 2015

The full title of Target 12.5 is: "By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.5.1 is the "National

rate, tons of material recycled". Every year, about one third of all food produce goes bad. This is worth about $1 trillion a year. The food spoils due to consumers, and goes bad during transportation.

Target 12.6: Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and sustainability reporting

The full title of Target 12.6 is: "Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.6.1 is the "Number of companies publishing sustainability reports".

Target 12.7: Promote sustainable public procurement practices

The full title of Target 12.7 is: "Promote

public procurement Government procurement or public procurement is the purchase of goods, works (construction) or services by the state, such as by a government agency or a state-owned enterprise. In 2019, public procurement accounted for approximately 12% of GDP ...

practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.7.1 is the "Degree of sustainable public procurement policies and action plan implementation". Three objectives, SPP, GPP and SRPP, all figure in the indicator: *SPP: Sustainable public procurement *GPP: Green public procurement *SRPP: Socially responsible public procurement. One of the limitations noted for this indicator is that different countries may implement and measure these objectives in different ways.

Target 12.8: Promote universal understanding of sustainable lifestyles

The full title of Target 12.8 is" By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.8.1 is the "Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii)

education for sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General Assembly (1987)''Report of th ...

are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment".

Target 12.a: Support developing countries' scientific and technological capacity for sustainable consumption and production

The full title of Target 12.a is: "Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.a.1 is the "Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries (in watts per capita)".

Target 12.b: Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable tourism

The full title of Target 12.b is: "Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for

sustainable tourism Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for Impacts of tourism, economic, social, and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs o ...

that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.b.1 is the "Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability".

Target 12.c: Remove market distortions that encourage wasteful consumption

The full title of Target 12.c is: "Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions in accordance with national circumstances, including restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities." It has one indicator: Indicator 12.c.1 is the: "(a) Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies as a percentage of GDP; and (b) amount of fossil fuel subsidies as a proportion of the total national expenditure on fossil fuels". Global fossil fuel subsidies in 2018 were $400 billion.  This was double the subsidies for

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

Custodian agencies

Custodian agencies are in charge of reporting on the following indicators: * Indicators 12.1.1, 12.2.1, 12.2.2, 12.7.1 and 12.c.1: United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) * Indicator 12.3.1:

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

(FAO) and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) * Indicator 12.4.1:

(UNEP) * Indicator 12.4.2:

(UNEP) and Department of Economic and Social Affairs-Statistics Division (DESA/UNSD) * Indicator 12.5.1:

(UNEP) and the

United Nations Statistics Division The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), formerly the United Nations Statistical Office, serves under the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) as the central mechanism within the Secretariat of the United Nations ...

(UNSD) * Indicator 12.6.1:

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the United Nations General Assembl ...

(UNCTAD) and the UN Environment (

/UNEP) * Indicator 12.8.1:

UNESCO Institute for Statistics The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the statistical office of UNESCO and is the UN depository for cross-nationally comparable statistics on education, science and technology, culture, and communication. The UIS was established in 1999. ...

(UNESCO-UIS) and the UNESCO Education Sector, Division for Peace and Sustainable Development, Section of Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO-ED/PSD/ESD) * Indicator 12.a.1:

International Renewable Energy Agency The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is the first international organis ...

(IRENA). * Indicator 12.b.1: United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Progress

An annual report is prepared by the

Secretary-General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

, which evaluates the progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals.

Challenges

Fossil fuel subsidies rose drastically in 2021, to levels last seen in 2014 before the SDGs were adopted, due to governments' responses to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. They are projected to rise even further due to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

disrupting energy supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic also impaired reporting of data regarding initiatives on sustainable tourism.

Links with other SDGs and other issues

SDG 12 has targets related to SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 13, SDG 14 and SDG 15.

Organizations

(UNEP) * Department of Economic and Social Affairs-Statistics Division (DESA/UNSD) *

(FAO) * United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) * UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS) * UNESCO Education Sector, Division for Peace and Sustainable Development, Section of Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO-ED/PSD/ESD) *

(UNCTAD) *

(UNSD) *

United Nations University The is the think tank and academic arm of the United Nations. Headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, with diplomatic status as a UN institution, its mission is to help resolve list of global issues, global issues related to Human development ...

References

External links

Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (Goal 12)“Global Goals” Campaign - SDG 12

SDG-Track.org - SDG 12UN SDG 12 in the US
{{Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals 2015 establishments in New York City Projects established in 2015 Consumption (macroeconomics) Production economics