Video - Consumo e produzione responsabili - STEM

Summary

The transcript highlights key aspects of sustainable development, particularly focusing on the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its SDG goals. It discusses the importance of sustainable production and consumption, emphasizing the need to reduce natural resource usage, waste, and emissions. It also addresses the global issue of food waste, the management of hazardous chemicals and waste, and the role of recycling. Italy’s progress on these fronts, such as recycling and waste management, is highlighted, with comparisons to other countries like Canada, Australia, and the US, offering a comprehensive view of global sustainability efforts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Goal 12 of the 2030 Agenda focuses on ensuring sustainable production and consumption patterns globally.
• 😀 The United Nations defines sustainable production and consumption as using services and products that meet basic needs, improve quality of life, and minimize resource usage and pollution.
• 😀 The first milestone under this goal encourages nations to adopt a 10-year framework for sustainable consumption and production launched by the UN in 2012.
• 😀 Many countries have not yet fully implemented the UN framework, and Italy's national action plan on sustainable consumption and production is still under development.
• 😀 The Green Deal in the European Union provides a supporting framework for sustainable practices and policies across member states.
• 😀 Sustainable management of natural resources is a key target, with 'material footprint' (MF) serving as an indicator of resource use. Italy’s MF is 8.32 tons per capita, which is relatively lower than countries like Canada or Australia.
• 😀 Global material footprints have grown, from 9.3 tons per capita in 2000 to 12.4 tons in 2019, reflecting increased resource consumption worldwide.
• 😀 A major issue highlighted is food waste. Despite the capacity to feed 12 billion people, nearly a third of food is wasted due to poor management and distribution.
• 😀 The Food Loss Index measures waste in the food supply chain but does not account for pre-harvest losses and consumer waste, which significantly impacts food waste statistics.
• 😀 Italy performs relatively well in recycling, managing to recycle 14.87 million tons of urban waste, surpassing many other European countries like Portugal.

Q & A

What is the 12th goal of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda?

The 12th goal aims to ensure that production and consumption patterns are sustainable to secure a future for everyone. This involves using services and products that meet basic needs, improve quality of life, and minimize resource consumption, toxic materials, waste emissions, and pollutants throughout the lifecycle of goods and services.

What do the United Nations define as sustainable production and consumption?

Sustainable production and consumption are defined as the use of services and products that fulfill basic needs, enhance quality of life, and minimize the consumption of natural resources and toxic materials, while reducing emissions of waste and pollutants over the product lifecycle.

What is the first target of the 12th SDG goal and how is it linked to global efforts?

The first target urges nations to implement the United Nations' 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production. It was launched in June 2012, but more than 10 years later, not all countries have adopted it. In Italy, the law 221/2015 requires the creation of a National Action Plan for sustainable consumption and production models.

How is the efficiency of resource use measured under the second target of SDG 12?

The second target focuses on the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. A key indicator used to measure this is the material footprint (MF), which considers the total weight of biomass, fossil fuels, metallic minerals, and non-metallic minerals used.

What is the global trend in material footprint from 2000 to 2019?

The global material footprint (MF) has been increasing, from 9.3 tons per capita in 2000 to 12.4 tons per capita in 2019. This reflects a growing global use of resources, though the rate varies by country.

How does Italy's material footprint compare to other countries?

Italy has a material footprint of 8.32 tons per capita, which is relatively lower compared to countries like Canada and Australia, where the material footprint can be 6 to 7 times higher.

What does the third target of SDG 12 address and what is the current state of food waste?

The third target addresses food waste, emphasizing the need to reduce waste and improve food distribution. Currently, around one-third of food produced globally is wasted due to factors like poor harvesting methods, inadequate transport, overproduction, and improper storage.

What is the Food Loss Index and what does it measure?

The Food Loss Index measures food waste along the supply chain, but it doesn't account for pre-harvest losses or waste at the retail and consumer levels. It provides insights into how food waste is distributed across different regions and years.

How has food waste changed in different regions from 2015 to 2021?

Food waste trends vary by region. North America experienced an increase in waste until 2020, followed by a sharp decline in 2021. Sub-Saharan Africa saw gradual increases, while North Africa remained on the rise before 2020. Central and Southern Asia, however, consistently had lower levels of food waste.

What does the fourth target of SDG 12 focus on, and what data is available on hazardous waste production?

The fourth target focuses on the eco-compatibility of chemicals and waste across their entire lifecycle. For hazardous waste production, there is a lack of data from many nations, but Italy reported producing nearly 168 kg of hazardous waste per capita in 2020, which includes industrial and domestic waste like batteries.