Joshua Bishop from WWF Australia presented at the UNAA Sustainable Consumption and Production Seminar held on 27 June 2013 hosted by Russell Kennedy, Melbourne. Held in support of the United Nations 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, the seminar brought together experts and practitioners from across business, government and civil society to provide a platform for shared learning on integrating sustainable consumption and production measures throughout business operations, relationships and value chains. Guest Speakers and Panelists: - Tim Grant, Director, Life Cycle Strategies - Joshua Bishop, National Manager – Markets, Sustainability and Business Partnerships, WWF Australia - Craig Chester, Operations Manager Australia, Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand - Liam Smith, Director, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainability Institute - Clinton Squires, Australian Managing Director, Interface More information available at: http://www.unaavictoria.org.au/education-advocacy/masterclasses/sustainable-consumption-and-production-seminar/

1. ©CatHolloway/WWF-Canon

2. • Sustainable Consumption & Production
• Voluntary Certification of Commodities
• WWF‟s Experience in Australia
Outline

3. -28%
Global Living Planet Index (LPI)
WWF/ZSL, 2012

4. Ecological footprint by component (1961-2008)
Global Footprint Network, 2011

5. 2/07/2013 - 5

6. Major drivers of biodiversity loss
Source: Rethinking Global Biodiversity Strategies: Exploring structural changes in production and consumption to reduce
biodiversity loss. © Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), The Hague/Bilthoven, 2010
MSA - Mean Species
Abundance

7. 2/07/2013 - 7
Deforestation
85% Agriculture & Ranching
10% Logging, Pulp & Paper

8. 2/07/2013 - 8

9. 2/07/2013 - 9
Largest source
of pollution

10. 2/07/2013 - 10

11. 2/07/2013 - 11

12. 2/07/2013 - 12
87% of fisheries fully exploited
or overfished

13. 100% sustainable sourcing of paper products
100% sustainable sourcing of all agricultural raw
materials by 2020
Committed to trading 100% sustainable palm oil
by 2015, in US/EU, and globally by 2020
100% of top 20 wild-caught seafood products are
sourced from sustainable fisheries, or from
fisheries on a pathway to sustainability, by 2015
Corporate commitment to sustainable
sourcing (a few examples)

14. Mature Developing Emerging
How to prove that raw materials are sourced
sustainably? The role of voluntary standards

15. 0
20,000,000
40,000,000
60,000,000
80,000,000
100,000,000
120,000,000
140,000,000
160,000,000
180,000,000
200,000,000
FSC certified area by forest zone (hectares)
Sub-/Tropical
Temperate
Boreal
What are the results?

16. MSC labelled seafood products currently available to consumers
Source: MSC
What are the results? (2)

17. Ecological Footprint by country
Global Footprint Network, 2011

18. Market transformation in Australia:
Corporate partnerships
Wild Caught Seafood Aquaculture Beef Sugar Forest Products Palm Oil

19. • Soil erosion & degradation
• Loss of natural habitats &
agro-biodiversity
• Over use of fresh water
• Excessive use of agro-
chemicals (fertilizers &
pesticides)
• Discharge and runoff of
polluted effluent and air
pollution
Environmental impacts of sugar production

20. Issues of concern:
• Labourrights of cane cutters and mill employees
• Mechanization of harvesting leading to redundancy of
cane cutters
• Low productivity and income of small-scale farmers
• Land and water conflicts - especially in expansion areas
Countries mainly affected:
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Honduras, India, Malawi, Pakistan, P
araguay, South Africa
Social issues in sugar

21. Includes:
• Production standard (2011)
• Chain of custody standard (mass balance)
Basic principles:
1. Obey the law
2. Respect human rights and labourstandards
3. Manage input, production and processing efficiencies to
enhance sustainability
4. Actively manage biodiversity and ecosystem services
5. Continuously improve key areas of the business
Bonsucro standards

22. 2/07/2013 - 22
Annual production of 30-35 million tonnes on
over 400,000 ha, worth around AU$2 billion.
95% of sugar produced in Australia is grown
in Queensland and about 5% in northern
New South Wales, along 2,100 km of
coastline.
80% of production is exported, mainly to
South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.
Around 4,000 farming enterprises, most
owned by sole proprietors or family
partnerships, although corporate ownership
of farms is increasing.
Sugarcane in Australia

23. Sugar farming
poses major
risks to Great
Barrier Reef
Source: Great Barrier Outlook Report
2009, Chapter 8, “Risks to the Reef”
(http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/as
sets/pdf_file/0017/3905/GBRMPA_O
RCH8.pdf)

24. WWF Goal: 20% adoption of best management practice by
producers in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, by 2016.
WWF approach:
Towards sustainable sugar in Australia
• Validate improved practices at farm level
(Project Catalyst)
• Support industry-led Best Management
Practices (BMPs)
• Government funding to develop and promote
improved practices (e.g. Reef Rescue)
• Market recognition for growers and millers
who move towards Bonsucro accreditation
• Research and development

25. • Who bears the cost of sustainable production?
• How to reduce the costs of certification / chain of custody?
• What are the social & environmental impacts of certification?
• How to strengthen the business case for sustainable
production? Especially in developing countries?
• What role can/should governments play?
• How to go beyond the „conscious‟ consumer?
• What potential beyond consumer goods markets?
• How to broaden the scope of certification to embrace
ecosystem services (carbon, water, biodiversity)?
Questions and challenges...

26. WWF is in over
100 countries, on
5 continents
+100
WWF was founded
in 1961
1961
WWF has over
5,000 staff
worldwide
+5,000
WWF has over
5 million supporters
+5m
Photo: © Michel Roggo / WWF-Canon
wwf.org.au
Thank you