SDG 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption & Production Patterns

SDG 12: ENSURE SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION PATTERNS

Goal 12 focuses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, essential for the livelihoods of current and future generations.

With the global population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, substantial changes in consumption habits and resource management are urgently needed.

GOALS & TARGETS

• 12.1: Implement a 10-year framework on sustainable consumption, with developed countries leading.
• 12.2: Achieve sustainable management of natural resources by 2030.
• 12.3: Halve global food waste at the consumer level and reduce food losses along supply chains by 2030.
• 12.4: Ensure environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste by 2020.
• 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention and recycling by 2030.
• 12.6: Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability into reporting.
• 12.7: Promote sustainable public procurement practices.
• 12.8: Ensure relevant information for sustainable development is accessible to all by 2030.
• 12.A: Support developing countries in building technological capacity for sustainable consumption.
• 12.B: Implement tools to monitor sustainable tourism impacts.
• 12.C: Rationalize fossil-fuel subsidies to minimize wasteful consumption, reflecting environmental impacts.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Urgent Need for Change
  • Resource Depletion: Current consumption patterns are unsustainable; almost three planets’ worth of resources would be needed to support future lifestyles.
  • Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Global crises have led to a resurgence in fossil fuel subsidies, nearly doubling from 2020 to 2021, counteracting efforts for sustainable energy.
• Sustainable Practices
  • Sustainability Reporting: There has been a significant increase in industries adopting sustainability reporting, tripling the number of published reports, indicating growing commitment to sustainable business practices.
  • Food Waste: Approximately 931 million tons of food are wasted annually, highlighting the urgent need for policies and investments to reduce food loss.
• Economic and Social Progress
  • Environmental degradation due to economic growth threatens future development and survival. A successful transition requires:
    • Improved resource efficiency.
    • Consideration of the entire life cycle of economic activities.
    • Active participation in multilateral environmental agreements.

STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

• Government Actions
  • Policies and Regulations: Implement targets for reducing waste, promoting circular economy practices, and supporting sustainable procurement.
  • Circular Economy: Focus on designing products for longevity, repairability, and recyclability, and encourage practices like reuse and recycling.
• Business Contributions
  • Businesses should seek innovative solutions to enable sustainable consumption and production, including:
    • Understanding the environmental impacts of products.
    • Designing for sustainability to inspire consumers.

• Consumer Responsibilities
  • Reduce Waste: Be mindful of consumption and waste. Use reusable bags, avoid single-use plastics, and recycle effectively.
  • Informed Purchases: Support sustainable and local businesses to drive demand for sustainable practices.

Facts and Figures

• Material Footprint Disparity: High-income countries have a per capita material footprint 10 times that of low-income countries.
• Food Waste Goals: The world is off track to halve per capita food waste by 2030.
• Corporate Reporting: While corporate sustainability reporting has increased, sustainable consumption monitoring has declined.

SDG 12 & INDIA

Overview: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 aims to ensure responsible consumption and production patterns.

It emphasizes the principle of “doing more with less,” focusing on resource efficiency, green economies, and minimizing waste while addressing pollution and degradation.

KEY OBJECTIVES

• Promote resource efficiency and sustainable infrastructure.
• Reduce degradation and pollution.
• Improve management of shared natural resources.
• Enhance awareness of sustainable lifestyles and practices.

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

• To assess India’s progress towards SDG 12, five national-level indicators were established, capturing three out of the eleven SDG targets for 2030.
• These indicators are selected for their data availability at sub-national levels, ensuring comparability across States and Union Territories (UTs).

GOAL 12 INDEX SCORE

Goal 12 Index Score

• Score Range:
  • States: 47 to 99
  • UTs: 43 to 87
• Top Performers:
  • States: Tripura
  • UTs: Jammu and Kashmir
• Front Runners: 24 States and 2 UTs scored between 65 and 100.
• Aspirants: 1 State and 1 UT scored less than 50.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS & INDICATORS

• Fossil Fuel Consumption:
  • Average per capita consumption: 166.43 kg (2023-2024).
  • Lowest: Bihar – 44.7 kg.
  • Highest: Goa – 526.07 kg.
  • UT Performance: Jammu and Kashmir – 129.35 kg.
• Nitrogenous Fertilizer Use:
  • Ideal NPK ratio: 4:2:1 (max 57% nitrogenous use).
  • Current usage: 65.24% nitrogenous fertilizer.
  • Best Performer: Nagaland – 100%.
  • UT of Delhi:87.20% nitrogenous fertilizer usage.
• Hazardous Waste Recycling/Utilization:
  • National recycling/utilization rate: 54.99% (2022-2023).
  • Zero Recycling: Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim.
  • Best Performer: Bihar – 248.21% (utilized/recycled).

• Plastic Waste Generation:
  • National generation: 3.04 tonnes per 1,000 population (2020-2021).
  • National target: 0.62 tonnes per 1,000 population.
  • Highest Generation: Goa – 18.93 tonnes; Telangana – 12.57 tonnes.
  • Best Performer: Tripura – 0.02 tonnes per 1,000 population.
• Biomedical Waste Treatment:
  • Daily generation: 705 tonnes (2022).
  • Treatment rate: 91.52% achieved.
  • Best Performing States/UTs: 20 States and all 7 UTs treated 100% of generated waste.
  • Lowest Treatment: Kerala – 46.96%.

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