Responsible Consumption & Production

Decoupling economic growth from resource use is one of the most critical and complex challenges facing the world today.
Doing so effectively requires policies that create conducive environments for such change, social and physical infrastructure, and markets, as well as a profound transformation of business practices along global value chains.

The per capita “material footprint” of developing countries grew from 5 metric tons in 2000 to 9 metric tons in 2017, representing a significant improvement in the material standard of living. Most of the increase is attributed to a rise in the use of non-metallic minerals, pointing to growth in the areas of infrastructure and construction.

For all types of materials, developed countries have at least double the per capita footprint of developing countries. In particular, the material footprint for fossil fuels is more than four times higher for developed than developing countries.

By 2018, a total of 108 countries had national policies and initiatives relevant to sustainable consumption and production.

According to a recent report from KPMG, 93 per cent of the world’s 250 largest companies (in terms of revenue) are now reporting on sustainability, as are three-quarters of the top 100 companies in 49 countries.