National Policy on Sustainable Consumption & Production for Sri Lanka.

Policy Principle: Minimizing the natural resources and toxic materials used, and the waste and pollutants generated, throughout the entire production and consumption process in all economic sectors. Policy Statements: 1. Improve the quality of life minimizing the environmental degradation and without compromising the resource needs of future generations. 2. Decouple economic growth from environmental degradation by: Reduce material/energy intensity of current economic activities and reducing emissions and waste from ex-traction, production, consumption and disposal; Promote a shift of consumption patterns towards groups of goods and services with lower energy and material intensity without compromising quality of life. 3. Apply life-cycle thinking, which considers the impacts from all life-cycle stages of the production and consumption process. 4. Guard against the re-bound effect, where efficiency gains are cancelled out by resulting increases in consumption. Overarching Policy Goals: By 2030, sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources achieved; By 2030, per capita global food waste reduced to half at the retail and consumer levels and food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses reduced; By 2020, the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle achieved, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and their re-lease to air, water and soil significantly reduced in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment; By 2030, waste generation substantially reduced through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse; Companies, especially large and transnational companies, encouraged to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle; Public procurement practices promoted that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities; By 2030, ensured that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature; Scientific and technological capacity strengthened to move to-wards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production; Tools developed and implemented to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products; Inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption rationalized by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by 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.
The National Policy on Sustainable Consumption & Production for Sri Lanka is developed through an interactive process involving all the key ministries and relevant societal stakeholders. Its mission focus on addressing the critical issues that, if left unattended, would frustrate the national economic development programmes. Clean air and clean and adequate supplies of water must be available to all. The country’s natural heritage of fauna and flora must not be allowed to get degraded. The cities have to be clean and provide a healthy environment for all the city dwellers. The industries must learn and put into practice measures for preventing environmental pollution. The island’s limited land and fresh water re-sources should be used optimally. Actions to address these key areas are embodied in policy statements and goals set out under the thrust themes of the Policy. This policy will provide an effective framework and the necessary impetus to enhance the sustainability of the country’s economic development drives through efficient and effective utilization of it natural resources. The policy will offer numerous opportunities such as reduction of production costs, creation of new, and resource efficient products, new markets and jobs, pollution prevention which reduces costs for “clean-up later” activities, sustainable living and foremost the opportunity to leapfrog to modern, low carbon, resource efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies. This will enhance the competitiveness of Sri Lanka in the world market, while also preserving its value as a custodian of unique biodiversity wealth. This policy also provides necessary direction and guidance for up-grading other related national sectoral policies in Sri Lanka in the context of SCP while bringing SCP elements of all related existing sectoral policies hither to being either isolated or polarized into a single document under a common format.
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) aims at improving economic development and social welfare while protecting the environment and managing natural resources sustainably. Promoting Sustainable Production (SP) is an essential ingredient of sustainable development, which depends on achieving long-term economic growth that is consistent with environmental and social needs. Promoting Sustainable Consumption (SC) is equally important to limit negative environmental and social externalities as well as to provide markets for sustainable products and services. SCP is needed to improve quality of life, particularly for the under-privileged, and provide the basic needs for all, including access to food, shelter, health, mobility and education services and to de-couple economic growth from environmental degradation to secure development while maintaining the carrying capacity of eco-systems. SCP provides the mechanisms to gain more prosperity with less resources, waste and emissions. SCP is relevant because it pro-vides a triple-win prospective: for the people, for profit and for the planet. Practising SCP is a clear business case for industries and the best deal for consumers. SCP focuses on increasing productivity through efficient use of resources and on value for money through savings and quality. SCP supports return on investments in green products and technologies. SCP is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty. SCP aims at “doing more economically and environmentally friendly manner with less,” increasing net welfare gains from economic activities by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution along the whole lifecycle, while increasing quality of life. SCP recognizes the importance of addressing production and consumption simultaneously to achieve this goal; without effective demand for green and fair products, production will not deliver environment-friendly practices and products. A key barrier is lack of awareness and empowerment of consumer groups – and this needs to be tackled. SCP can be seen as two sides of the same coin. The two elements complement and mutually reinforce each other: stimulating the demand for sustainable products affects production patterns and the availability of sustainable products will enhance demand. It involves different stakeholders, including business, consumers, policy makers, researchers, scientists, retailers, and media, among others; requiring a systemic approach and cooperation among all these actors operating in the supply chain, from producer to final consumer. It involves engaging consumers through awareness-raising and education on sustainable consumption and lifestyles, providing consumers with adequate information through standards and labels and engaging in sustainable public procurement, among others.