Delegate from the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

Position Paper for the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)

Topic 2: The Promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production to Decelerate Climate

Change

Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is a concept that focuses on ensuring that the way we use
our resources and production methods are sustainable and safe for a country. These could involve, using
different services and products that meet our needs, wants and on top of that, it also improve our quality of
life while also minimising the use of natural resources (to save for future generations), toxic materials, and
mass emissions of waste and pollutants to grow a better future. This is utterly crucial as our planet's
resources are finite and the current consumption levels are unsustainable and will deplete all natural
resources very rapidly. Uruguay, a country known for its impressive coastline and high standard of living,
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is heavily dependent on sustainable agriculture and
renewable energy, sectors that are directly influenced by consumption and production patterns.

particularly relevant to the country to preserve this coastline and high standards of living. The country's
economy Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production is exactly what the United Nations is on the
verge of doing. The concept of Sustainable Consumption and Production(SCP) was recognized in the
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation in 2002, which identified Sustainable Consumption and Production
(SCP) as one of the three vital objectives of sustainable development throughout a country. In 2015, the UN
adopted Sustainable Development Goal 12(SDG12) which was to “ensure sustainable consumption and
production patterns," to further emphasise the importance of Sustainable Consumption and
Production(SCP). Multiple international conferences and workshops have been organised to implement the
recommendations made in Agenda 21.

Uruguay has shown a rather strong commitment to Sustainable Consumption and Production(SCP). The
country runs on 98% renewable energy which is very impressive, with biomass, solar, and around 50 wind
parks replacing fossil fuels. Moving towards sustainable investment portfolios is very crucial to promote
Sustainable Consumption and Production(SCP) and Uruguay has officially decided that they will move
towards sustainable investment portfolios, initiating the country's first private issuance of green bonds. The
private sectors in Uruguay contribute directly to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and
indirectly, through its actions and financing, to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
Uruguay is also a very large hub of renewable energy and green fuels in the Southern Cone.

Sustainable Consumption and Production(SCP) still remains as a critical aspect of sustainable development
throughout a country. It is the key to decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.
Promoting circular economy practices, setting targets for reducing waste generation, and supporting
sustainable procurement policies would be potential solutions for an economy but for individuals, acts like
consuming less, choosing products with lower environmental impacts, and reducing the carbon footprint of
day-to-day activities would focus on the topic of Sustainable Consumption and Production(SCP) and finally
for businesses, acts such as understanding the environmental and social impacts of their products and
services is truly crucial and as is finding new solutions that enable sustainable consumption and production
patterns. As we move forward, countries like Uruguay must continue to lead the way in implementing and
promoting SCP.
BIBLIOGRAPHY :-

1. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/.
2. https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-
development-goals-matter/goal-12.
3. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/doing-more-less-ensuring-sustainable-consumption-and-
production.
4. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/uruguay-sustainable-energy-renewables/.
5. https://www.sustainabledevelopment.report/reports/uruguay-sustainable-development-report-2021/ .
6. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/1-4020-3653-1_3.pdf?pdf=preview.
7. https://uruguay.uy/en/sustainable-production.
8. https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-consumption-and-production.
9. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-action/.
10. https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/global-climate-agreements-through-years.