THE 9th EUROPEAN ROUNDTABLE ON SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION Bilbao, Spain, May 12-14, 2004

ON MAIN ENGLISH PAGE

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Elena Kalaida The head of industrial ecology department, Polar Branch JSC MMP "Norilsk Nockel", Norilsk

In the period of May 12-14, 2004 the 9th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production has been held in Bilbao (Spain). Earlier for more than 10 years eight conferences named as Roundtable on Cleaner Production have been held. It is connected with the fact that all over the world and in Europe particularly the great emphasis is put to problems of impact on environment in the framework of general life cycle of manufactured products beginning from resource production to utilization of waste items (both a button and large ocean vessels).

In the previous period since 1945 a majority of European countries have achieved such a level when practically all waste waters are treated at the treatment plants, besides much has been done on prevention of industrial and utility enterprises discharge into the air. Owing to fuel improving and neutralizing equipment influence of motor vehicles on urban air condition is not so heavy as 20 years ago. All over Europe hundreds of plants on solid domestic waste utilization have been built. However in spite of so grand efforts and essential financial spending the problem of environmental conservation as a necessary condition of human being existence is still far from its final solution. At the same time there was globalization of pollution impact since discharged contaminants are spreading quite rapidly all over the Earth causing negative changes of bio-objects and so of a human being. For the purpose of further reduction of impact on state of environment 18 year ago the United Nations Organization has adopted the strategy of cleaner production which is being realized. This strategy aims at continuous and gradual change of technological processes with the view of natural resources expenditure reduction – raw materials and power – to achieve such a level when minimum emission impact does not result in any environmental changes. The realization of this Program in all European countries including Russia has demonstrated its efficiency practically in all spheres of economy. However the social and economic impact of natural resources expenditure has increased. In a global scale there is a group of developed countries (Europe, Japan, USA) which need a great number of natural resources for maintenance and improving of their living standard. They can get these resources from developing countries which demand compensation for damage to their environment and investments into improvement of their population living standard. Everybody realizes that it is impossible, even theoretically, to make such living standard for the whole planet as USA and Europe have since there are no required resources for that. In 1986 in the framework of U.N.O. the concept of sustainable development has been put forward which proposed first of all maximum possible and admissible reduction of nonrenewable natural resources utilization and achievement of renewable natural resources reproduction.

In the course of the 9th European Roundtable both plenary and many section reports on problems of turn to sustainable development have been made. At the same time during section meetings they discussed the reports on cleaner production development in separate countries and companies. For instance, it was reported that the association formed of different countries institutes and firms (Switzerland, Finland, Germany and others) deals with the proposal on transition of textile industry including natural and synthetic materials production to the system of sustainable development through cleaner production and application of the best existing technologies. The great number of reports was devoted to problems of galvanic production, construction industry, etc. At the same time the priority was given to development of sustainable consumption at European level. The representative of India in one of his plenary reports proposed to introduce a system of simultaneously separate and comparable consideration of natural resources consumption and output production with reference both to Europe and in a global scale. The reporter considers that up to the present time primary attention has been paid to problems of finished products manufacture taking into account principles of free market and regulation through price changes mechanism. At the same time resources supply from developing countries as if adapts to consumption in the developed countries. According to the reporter’s proposal it is necessary to regulate natural resources supply separately taking into account both interests of developing countries and state of natural environment in a global scale as a whole. Actually it means equal participation of all countries in resources consumption and the developed countries refuse from existing privilege and so the change of situation at all world resource exchanges – those of metal, oil, timber resources, etc. In English this term means "decoupling", i.e. a separation of the pair "consumption-resources" into independent directions. The reporter considers that with the view of this it is necessary to change legislations and make decisions at all levels including their international co-ordination, economic stimulation and explanation to society the essential specific limitations in the sphere of resources. One of the reporters presented the analysis of companies special reports on sustainable development in different countries. It testifies that many firms being aware of importance of this factor actualize it through prepared information spreading it via Internet and international organizations. The Government of Sweden advanced the initiative of development and adoption of national plan of actions with specific measures on achievement of sustainable environmental, social and economic consumption. The clear definition of terms of sustainable consumption should be a part of this plan. The special expert has been assigned for preparation and development of proposals on this plan of actions which should be presented to the Government of Sweden till May 31, 2005. Website: www.sweden.gov.se