Sustainability

ICC Statement on Sustainable Consumption and Production

  • 11 March 2019

ICC, as the world business organization, representing more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries, and as Permanent Observer to the United Nations, encourages all stakeholders to take a critical look at our consumption and production patterns.

At a time when the world’s population is growing exponentially, the demand for resources has never been higher. The environmental impacts of this demand, as well as the effects on people and the economy are also increasing at an unprecedented rate. To secure a sustainable future, we must transform our consumption and productions patterns – from extraction, to processing and subsequent use and disposal of resources.

ICC has been a longstanding partner committed to sustainable development and continues to bring thought leadership for sustainable solutions and work with many of the world’s leading companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce to develop and adopt sustainable consumption and production practices and to integrate sustainability information into their core operations, supply chains and financial markets.

Many companies are already integrating sustainable production and consumption practices into their operations. Some of these examples are highlighted in the attached statement.

ICC continues to encourage the private sector to increase the pace and ambition of action and calls on all business – small and large – to integrate sustainable productions and consumption practices into their operations. At the same time, ICC encourages governments to provide a coherent policy framework and adequate incentives to facilitate the transition.