SUPPORTING RETAILERS IN MOVING TOWARD SCP

An effective shift toward Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) will require new and different roles for different actors. The retail sector has potential to affect change in society like no other industry given their unique position at the heart of the value chain where production and consumption are linked. At one end of their business, retailers are in direct contact with consumers and are able to exercise significant influence on consumer purchase, use and disposal decisions. At the other end of their business, retailers reach out to supply chains that effectively span the globe. Retailers can be said to act as gatekeepers who determine not only the goods and services on offer but also the manner in which those goods are produced.

 

A better understanding to trigger better support

Many retailers are already making good use of their position and are working to establish more sustainable patterns of consumption and production. A supportive political framework could further trigger this development. To this end, more information on how retail companies can contribute toward SCP is needed and the means by which policy makers can foster proactive initiatives in the retail sector needs to be better understood.

 

SCP Opportunities in the European Food Retail Sector  

Providing such an overview was the focus of a background study conducted by the European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ETC/SCP). The study explored the potential role of food retailers in driving core socio-economic trends, presented current efforts among large supermarket chains as well as options for further action, both in terms of upstream, in-house and downstream activities. Key opportunities identified within the study include a need to prioritise product chains and priority areas for action, to concentrate more on promoting sustainable and healthier diets, as well as to support a more coordinated and holistic approach toward current and future SCP and sectoral policies.

 

Engaging retailers, policy makers and other stakeholders

Future aspirations of the project are to inspire retail organisations to apply the identified best practice examples and to support policy makers in gaining insights into the best manner in which further improvements can be supported and encouraged. To this end, the ETC/SCP aims to engage retailers, policy makers and other interested parties (including manufacturing companies) in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on how to enhance the retail sector contribution to SCP. Central messages from the background study will be shared and discussed with selected stakeholders from the business, civil society and policy communities to develop common recommendations on how to collaborate in supporting the retail role in SCP.

 

Background

The European Topic Centre on SCP (ETC/SCP) is a consortium of the CSCP and seven other specialist partner organisations drawn from environmental authorities and research communities in Europe. The ETC/SCP is one of five European Environment Agency Topic Centres.