The Union of Arab Chambers participated in the expert group meeting on “Resource Efficiency in the Arab Region: Monitoring the Progress Made in Achieving Goal 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production, and Building Better After COVID-19”, which was held via “video conference” with the participation of specialists.
The themes of the meeting focused on the following three topics: statistical frameworks and methodologies for measuring consumption and productivity indicators, monitoring progress made in Goal 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region, reviewing national progress, and better and green reconstruction and recovery in the context of COVID-19.
The meeting dealt with unsustainable consumption and production patterns, which are a major cause of climate change, land degradation, resource depletion, and air and water pollution, as sustainable consumption and production come as one of the main elements of those challenges as it contributes to protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development. The meeting discussed how to rebuild better in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to highlighting the steps and actions taken by the United Nations Environment Program in response to the rebuilding phase during this period, in addition to assessing progress during the recovery phase in the indicators and targets of sustainable consumption and production in the Arab region, as well as shedding light on success stories in recycling waste.
The meeting called for the necessity of cooperation between statistical offices and ministries of environment in implementing international statistical frameworks at the national or global levels, which could help countries organize data to track sustainable consumption and production and the sustainable development goals. It also highlighted the need to update the current Arab regional strategy for sustainable consumption and production, adopted by the League of Arab States in November 2009, in line with the current status of the Arab region.
The meeting called for the establishment of a national data list in order to ensure transparency and validity of information to improve the conditions for monitoring and evaluation of progress in this field, and to support and encourage international cooperation activities and partnerships between Arab countries and the exchange of experiences in the fields of the circular economy renewal as a whole, including those related to the management of e-waste and medical waste and others, to adopt it and work to implement it on the ground in the future. They also stressed the role of research and development by academic and research institutions to promote sustainable consumption and production in the region.
They also stressed on the need to adopt the integration of sustainable consumption and production in recovery strategies to align the economy with public health, nature and climate, post Covid-19 crisis by working on digital and circular technology policies, behavioral changes, and strengthening public and grassroots institutions; In addition to an interest in the workplace, and a move to local supply chains and green enterprises. The meeting recommended that the countries of the Arab region should provide financial packages and incentives to invest in social and environmental infrastructure to promote sustainable consumption and production.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
