STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MR. LUKE DAUNIVALU, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF FIJI TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE 7TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ON "SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION (INCLUDING CHEMICAL AND WASTE)" (New York, 8 January 2014)

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. Allow me to thank Dr. Weizsacker, Co-chair of the International Resource Panel for his informative presentation. We also welcome the panel discussion this afternoon on the theme focusing on "sustainable consumption and production (including chemical and waste)".

Co-Chairs,

3. Regarding the topics under consideration today, we would like to underline that both issues, sustainable consumption and production and chemicals and waste, should be addressed through distinct approaches. Sustainable consumption and production is an overarching framework that encompasses a wider range of issues related to the way our societies and economies produce and consume, including consumer behavior, lifestyles, resource use efficiency, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, among others. Through the lens of sustainable consumption and production we are prompted to find new solutions to challenges related to sustainable development and their relation to the current prevailing economic models and inequalities. Alongside the issues of sustainable consumption and production, chemical and waste represent a very specific and concrete challenge that has been addressed in several international conventions, which should be taken into account by this group. Furthermore, the promotion of sound management of chemical and waste demands focused and effective action, especially, by means of capacity-building and technology transfer for developing countries.

4. The Group believes that achieving sustainable patterns of consumption and production is essential to the sustainable development agenda. This view is consistent with the call made by our political leaders more than twenty years ago at the 1992 Earth Summit. Chapter 4 of Agenda 21 recognised that "the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in industralised countries" and Principle 8 of the Rio Declaration urges states to reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. This call was subsequently reaffirmed in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the Rio+20 Summit, which led to the adoption of the Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (the "10 YFP") in 2012 at Rio.

5. With a global human population projected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050, and in which about 1.2 billion people currently live in extreme poverty and deprivation, there is great urgency for us, the present generation, to adopt sustainable production and consumption patterns that safeguard the rights of future generations. We must change the current unsustainable patterns of consumption and production in which increasing resource use, waste and pollution are undermining efforts for poverty eradication, global equity and prospects for future sustainable development.

6. As economies expand and populations grow, material extraction and food demand are expected to increase. However, such an increase could be avoided if the current consumption and production patterns are changed, including the prevention of high rates of food losses and waste. We express deep concern on the current inequitable and severe imbalance in global consumption and call for time-bound effective implementation of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, with developed countries taking the lead. The 10YFP is a concrete and operational outcome of the Rio+20 Conference and is firmly based on Rio Principles, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Co-Chairs,

7. Chemicals and waste management are closely related to sustainable consumption and production. The release of chemicals adversely affects the atmosphere, water, soil, wildlife, our ecosystems and food chain, with serious consequences for the environment and on human health. Waste generation on the other hand, is projected to increase from 1.3 billion tones per year today to 2.2 billion tones per year by 2025. Such rapid increases on waste generation complicate global and national efforts for sustainable waste management. Some of the wastage impacts can be addressed through innovative disposals with positive economic returns. For example, with developing countries generating approximately 50-70 per cent of organic waste, much of this waste can be used to produce energy or as fertilizers through methanisation and composting.

8. We welcome the implementation of several multilateral environmental agreements, including those targeting on the depletion of the ozone layer, hazardous waste, persistent organic pollutants, and those relating to the production and usage of chemicals in ways that help to minimize significant effects on human health and the environment. We note, however, that many developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and Small Island Developing States, lack the capacity for sound management of chemical and waste. In this regard, we call upon the international community, the UN system and other development agencies to assist the efforts of developing countries to better manage chemicals and waste, including through technology transfer and capacity building.

Co-Chairs,

9. The Group holds the view that embracing sustainable consumption and production policies and practices offer great opportunities for all countries to enjoy more sustainable paths of development. To this end, enabling conditions must be created for new and innovative solutions by using a mix of regulatory and economic instruments, existing and new technologies, empowerment of stakeholders and a governance structure that entails decision-making founded upon inclusive and participatory approaches. International cooperation on financing, innovation and technology transfer is essential to assist developing countries to progress towards sustainable development goals.

10. In the context of the SDGs, the Group holds the view that the 10YFP should serve as a global cooperative framework to help accelerate the shift towards sustainable patterns of consumption and production, including sound chemical and waste management. Making this global shift requires strong leadership from developed countries, as recognised in a number of international declarations. With developed countries taking the lead and developing countries following a similar pattern, we are convinced that our collective efforts could mitigate or even reverse the damage to the global environment, thereby preserving a sustainable future for our children.

I thank you, Co-Chairs!