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Cleaner Production & MEAs:

The Linkage

CPC Workshop

Cleaner Production: Revisited

The continuous application of an integrated preventive environmental strategy applied to processes, products and services to increase overall efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment

Related terms include:– Pollution prevention (P2) – North America– Produccion Mas Limpia (PL) – Latin America– Waste minimisation– Eco-efficiency– Green business– Sustainable business

Cleaner Production: Revisited

Production processes– Conserving raw materials and energy,

reducing, minimising and eliminating use of toxic materials and their release to the environment

Products– Reducing negative impacts along the

life-cycle of a product Services

– Incorporating environmental concerns into designing and delivering services

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)

International instrument binding three or more nations

Take measures to remedy, mitigate or otherwise deal with global and/or regional environmental concerns

Contribute to sustainable development

What are MEAs?

International legal instruments that:– have a goal of environmental

protection (sustainable development)– are concluded between a large number

of states or international organizations as parties

– concluded in written form– governed by international law– can be embodied in a single instrument

or in two or more related instruments

How MEAs come into Force

International legal instrument agreed and signed between the states (signatories)

MEAs include provision on number of ratification from signatories needed to come into force

Once a country ratifies, accepts, approves or accedes an MEA, the country (or “Party”) is subject to the provisions under the MEA

MEA Implementation Implementation of an MEA

– a process of converting international commitments and requirements into national law and policy in order to induce behavioral change of target groups, i.e. those actors causing the problem in question.

Compliance – refers to whether the countries adhere to the

agreement provisions and undertake implementation measures, including procedural measures (e.g. national reporting)

Effectiveness – whether a MEAs resolved a problem that

caused its creation

Institutional Elements of MEAs

Conference of Parties (COP)– Ultimate decision-making body on

implementation and development of their respective MEAs

Secretariat– Supports COP and performs a number of

varied functions depending on the mandate of the MEA

Executive and subsidiary bodies– Generally advisory in nature, report to COP

on scientific, technical, or financial matters

Institutional Elements of MEAs

Clearinghouses– Facilitate exchange of information

(websites, databases operated usually by the Secretariats)

Implementation actors on national level

– Represented by the national authorities and/or institutions, training and information centres

Financial mechanisms

Financial Mechanisms Regime Budgets

– MEAs can establish one of more of mandatory or voluntary trust funds, most often administered by the international organizations that provide the Secretariats. Budgets are proposed by Parties and approved by the COPs

Development Assistance– Funds can be provided via foundations (e.g. UN

Foundation), bilateral arrangements, private sector donors and NGOs

Other multilateral financing mechanisms – Global Environment Facility, The Kyoto Protocol

climate-related mechanisms, the World Bank

Main MEA Clusters

Biodiversity Atmosphere Land Chemicals and hazardous waste Regional seas and related

MEA Clusters: Biodiversity

Consists of MEAs related to protection and conservation of biodiversity

Main MEA - Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Others include CITES, CMS, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands etc.

Protection of biodiversity is directly relevant to pollution management and efficient use of

resources and therefore to Cleaner Production

MEA Clusters: Atmosphere

MEAs aimed at protection of atmosphere from pollutants

– Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

– The Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Implementation of the atmosphere cluster MEAs requires effective management of emissions to air

and therefore directly relevant to Cleaner Production

MEA Clusters: Marine Environment

17 Regional Seas Conventions Global Program of Action for the

protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA)

Most MEAs in the marine cluster are multi-sectoral agreements based on

precautionary and preventive approaches and hence direct relevance to CP

MEA Clusters: Chemicals & Hazardous Waste Deal with hazardous impacts of wastes

and chemical pollution Main treaties under the cluster:

– Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal

– Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

– Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Cleaner Production is relevant to all Conventions under this cluster and helps to enhance

synergies among them

MEA Clusters: Land

Main MEA: UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Linked to Climate Change and Biodiversity Conventions (Three Rio Conventions)

No direct linkage, but some relevance to Cleaner Production

Three Core MEAs (with direct relevance to CP activities) Chemical and hazardous waste

– Basel Convention – Stockholm Convention on POPs

Atmosphere– Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC)

MEA Comparison

Basel Kyoto Stockholm Hazardous Waste

(HW) Greenhouse

Gases (GHG) Persistent Organic

Pollutants (POPs) In force Not yet in force Entry into force

(17 May 2004) Minimize

generation Reduce

movements Disposal close to

source Prevention focus

recently added

Stabilize/Reduceemissions of GHG

Eliminateproduction anduse

Reduce releases Manage/destroy

existing stockpilesin sound manner

MEAs: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:– Growing commitment to explore synergies– Increased attention to principles of

precaution and prevention Weaknesses:

– Lack of synergies among MEAs– Inadequate implementation and

coordination of MEAs at the national level– Inadequate compliance and enforcement– Lack of environmental and performance

indicators to measure the effectiveness of MEAs

– Inadequate funding for selected MEAs

CP & MEA Integration: Why?

“promotion of its implementation, and coordinating functions arising from increasing number of international legal instruments”

(Chapter 38 of Agenda 21, 1992)

“apparent conflict” between conventions(UNEP Technology and Economic Assessment Panel

under Montreal Protocol and IPCC, 2000)

“fragmentation, duplication and overlap”, compliance rates are at best patchy”

(Geo 3. UNEP, 2002)

-> MEAs can lead to greater Cleaner Production implementation and vice-versa

CP & MEAs: Building on Commonalities

Common goal: sustainable development (triple bottom line)

Cross-cutting issue: assessment and management of pollution, emissions, wastes etc.

Deal with current and future environmental issues

Precautionary approach Continuous environmental

improvement Promote synergies

What can CP do for MEAs?

CP can contribute to:– wider use of prevention as the best

strategy of environmental protection– issue linkage and providing positive

incentives for compliance and implementation

– strengthening synergies among MEAs– adding flexibility to the agreements

What can CP do for MEAs?

Cross-cutting and capacity building activities of CP:

– Policy advice– Technical and financial assistance – Assessment and management of

pollution – Education and awareness– Information exchange– Strengthened participation of all

stakeholders in the decision-making– International partnership

Current Status: Where are we now?

CP experiences and expertise are readily available but widespread awareness about CP is lacking

Links starting between MEA implementation and CP related bodies, tools, methodologies - but more needed

Implementation focus on regulation, end-of-pipe

Survey: NCPC’s Familiarity with Conventions (in 2002)

unfamiliar 70%

familiar 30%

Basel Convention

unfamiliar 80%

familiar 20%

Stockholm Convention

unfamiliar 60%

familiar40%

UNFCCC

What Should it Be (Vision)?

CP widely used in MEA implementation strategy

Multi-stakeholder partnerships including MEA/CP bodies

Effective implementation of MEAs through prevention leading to sustainable development

What Gaps Need to be Bridged?

Catalytic actors and activities needed

Awareness of CP by MEA-related bodies

Awareness of MEAs by CP-related bodies

More joint efforts/co-ordination

CP & MEAs:Matching of Skills and Needs

Experiences in Cleaner Production have some relevance to certain MEAs

– Hazardous waste management (Basel)– Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)– Energy efficiency (UNFCCC-Kyoto)

Technical assistance can be provided based on previous Cleaner Production experiences and activities

– Training and demonstration projects– Technical manuals– Material substitution and process change– National Implementation Plan (NIP) preparation

CP practitioners have unique skills:– deep knowledge of local conditions

and industries– confidence of local industry and

recognition at all levels– good industry, government contacts– extensive networks of technical

specialists– links with government and

international organisations

CP & MEAs:Matching of Skills and Needs

Cleaner Production practitioners have some needs to be met:

– direct experience with MEAs– knowledge on MEAs– Understanding of MEA financial

mechanisms– experience with government MEA

agencies– training materials, relevant information

CP & MEAs:Matching of Skills and Needs

CP & MEA: Why Integrate?

Awareness raisingInformation exchange

Commitment/partnership building

Demonstration projectsEducation & Training

Building capacityTechnical assistance

Policy advice/developmentMore...?

Summary: CP & MEA Linkage

Global drive towards promoting and implementing sustainable development

– Increasing number of MEAs– Tighter/comprehensive environmental

legislation Realised benefits from making the shift

from reactive to proactive/preventive approach to environmental management

– Cleaner production– Sustainable consumption

The need to be aware and be prepared to capitalise on potential opportunities