What is Sustainable Development Goal 12?

Responsible production and consumption are the premises of this Sustainable Development Goal 12 that we will explain in depth today

The production of goods and services for consumption by Population growth is one of the foundations of our society, something that guarantees people’s well-being and enables their development and progress. However, this reality, which emerged after the Industrial Revolution, hides a downside: a lack of responsibility in both production and consumption is having a profound environmental impact on our environment. This trend is depleting our planet of resources, while the world’s population continues to grow and demands even more consumer goods, putting the future of current and future generations at risk. This is the pretext behind the United Nations’ development of SDG 12. Do you want to know more about this Sustainable Development Goal? Let’s get to it.

This goal is defined as “SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” To reduce our current environmental impact, we must change various habits in both consumption and production. To achieve this, it is essential to replace the energy supply systems used in production with more sustainable ones, such as those derived from renewable energy. Furthermore, large manufacturers must adopt circular economy systems, including the design of durable, repairable, and recyclable products; as well as incorporating practices such as reuse, reconditioning, and recycling of consumer goods to minimize waste and resource depletion.

To accomplish this, companies must gain a deeper understanding of the direct impact their activities have on the environment and society by analyzing the life cycles of their products and their impact on people’s lifestyles.

What are the goals of SDG 12?

To understand Sustainable Development Goal 12 in depth, we have to get closer to what its main goals are. According to the UN itself, this SDG 12 aims to:

• 12.1 Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, with all countries participating and led by developed countries, taking into account the level of development and capabilities of developing countries
• 12.2 By 2030, achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
• 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
• 12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their releases to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
• 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through waste prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
• 12.6 Encourage enterprises, especially large enterprises and transnational enterprises, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
• 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
• 12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and knowledge for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
• 12.a Help developing countries strengthen their scientific and technological capacities to move towards more sustainable consumption and production patterns
• 12.b Develop and implement tools to monitor the impact on sustainable development, with a view to achieving sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes culture and local products
• 12.c Rationalize inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including through restructuring tax systems and phasing out harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impact, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing potential adverse effects on their development, in a manner that protects the poor and affected communities

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