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December 16, 2020
The One Planet Network Sustainable Public Procurement Programme calls upon the global public procurement community to leverage purchasing power to respond and recover responsibly from the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we propose nine concrete actions for the public procurement community: explore the “Call to Action” here.
Humanity is faced with a challenge unprecedented in recent history. Approaching one year since the outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted countless lives worldwide and it leaves a lasting impact on individuals, world economies and society as a whole. What are key tools for responsible response and recovery mechanisms? Public procurement is one of them. Making responsible and strategic decisions on how public money is spent is key to creating economic, societal and environmental value.
In addition, different sectors face distinct challenges, but also unique opportunities to contribute to a responsible recovery, which is why the Sustainable Public Procurement Programme also has collated suggestions for a selection of high-impact sectors,including health care, construction, textiles, plastic and more.
This is a joint effort by the SPP Programmes Co-Leads ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Governments of China (Environmental Development Centre of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China) and the Netherlands (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) and the UN Environment Programme as well as 16 Multistakeholder Advisory Committee (MAC) members from across the world.
Share the Call to Action with your networks! Explore more and connect with the programme here.
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Learn more at the One Planet Network website.
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December 14, 2020
[16 November 2020, UNEP] Trade is responsible for much larger amounts of material extraction than direct trade flows indicate when accounting for the additional materials, energy, water and land used in the extraction and production of traded goods but left behind as wastes and emissions in the exporting country.
In 2017, the material required for trade was three times the direct trade as more than 35 billion tons of material resources were extracted globally to produce 11 billion tons of directly traded goods. This means that one-third of the total 92 billion tons of material resources extracted in the global economy that year was destined to produce goods for trade.
Such analysis by the International Resource Panel of the materials embodied in trade reveals that resource-intensive processes have shifted from high-income importing countries to low-income exporting countries, with a corresponding shift in associated environmental burdens.
The extraction and processing of resources for export depletes natural assets, while increasing waste, emissions, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and water pollution. Appropriate policies are therefore needed to address the adverse environmental impacts of trade and ensure that trade helps drive the transition towards a fairer, more sustainable and circular economy.
Policy analysis by the United Nations Environment Programme Environment and Trade Hub shows how both multilateral trade rules and regional trade agreements can be used proactively to advance the circular economy and minimize the environmental impacts associated with resource extraction.
Learn more at UNEP News Center
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December 7, 2020
[2020-11-15] The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement was signed among its 15 participating countries Sunday, launching the world's biggest free trade bloc.
Participating countries include the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The RCEP agreement will accelerate the building of the ASEAN economic community and thereby allow ASEAN to become dynamic and strong partners in promoting cooperation for shared prosperity, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the signing ceremony held via video conference.
The 15 participating countries of the RCEP account for around 30 percent of the global population, global gross domestic product and global trade.
The signing came after more than 30 rounds of negotiation, which was launched in November 2012, as well as a number of specific leaders and ministerial meetings between the participating countries.
The ongoing 37th ASEAN Summit and related summits take place from Thursday to Sunday via video conferences.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnam is the ASEAN chair for 2020.
Learn more at Xinhua News Center
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