The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the urgent need to change the ways in which we interact with nature. Human reliance on natural resources and ecosystem services must be understood and quantified if we are to prevent, or at least forestall, the next global pandemic.

Historically, social and economic growth has been linked to ever-increasing environmental exploitation; however fruitful, this pattern is not sustainable. Developing lifestyles that are truly sustainable alongside economies that protect natural systems will be one of the greatest challenges of our time.

The pandemic—like other global environmental events—can be seen as opportunities. They are opportunities for collaboration and progress. They urge us to evaluate the practices causing their emergence, and to build back more resilient and sustainable consumption and production patterns for future generations.  

In this short writing sample, I will provide a few examples to demonstrate how Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), Responsible Consumption and Production, can provide a framework for shifting future consumption and production patterns. Consumption and production lie at the heart of sustainable development. Without change to consumer habits and alternative methods of production, we will not be able to decouple economic growth from from unsustainable resource use and environmental degradation.

To begin, let’s evaluate the role of conceptual frameworks in shaping consumption and production patterns. The 10 Year Framework of Programs (10FYP) is a tool for policymakers that highlights sector-based solutions and methods for sustainable financing. As are many UN frameworks, the 10FYP is useful for holding different stakeholders accountable, and for measuring progress. However, to be productive, frameworks such as the 10YFP need to be accessible. UN specific acronyms and diplomatic linguistic phrases pose barriers to understanding for people outside these systems.

The organizations, governments, and communities who need most to adopt sustainable consumption and production patterns deserve concrete methods to measure progress. Measurement tools should be applicable in different contexts, and provisioned using step-by-step approaches. Everyone would benefit from less indecipherable jargon. Additionally, policy toolkits need to be obtainable online, simplified for clarity, and available on multiple platforms to engage different stakeholders, not just diplomats. These steps are imperative if we are to facilitate worldwide change.

Let’s now consider an important and less recognized example of the impacts of consumption and production: urban wastewater. Wastewater feels far and flushed away, until you realize how it is linked to the food on our plates. Wastewater, and the pharmaceuticals dissolved in it, are entering our environments at an exponential rate, causing detrimental impacts. In tandem with severe weather events, polluted waters often overflow into surrounding bodies of water – causing extensive damage. In New York City, heavy rain regularly leads to an overflow of sewage systems, leaving important waterways like the Hudson and East River flooded with pollution and pharmaceuticals.  

In most sewage plants across the world, pharmaceuticals are not removed or degraded, as this requires highly sophisticated (and expensive) treatment methods. Globally, 20 million hectares of farmland are fertilized with untreated wastewater. As a result, there are up to 4,000 pharmaceutical drugs dissolved in the waters used to grow various agricultural crops.  

In most developing countries, wastewater treatment plants lack functionality and large-scale coverage, as adopting new technology is energy-intensive and expensive. Without effective wastewater treatment plants, farmers are forced to use poor-quality water for crop irrigation—posing serious risks to public health.

Improvements are challenging but possible. In 2016, the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, invested in new technology to reduce the excess nutrients from their waters. They have since met the wastewater goals set for 2025. While impressive, technology cannot work in every context and will not be effective alone. Governments can help facilitate better practices by implementing and enforcing policies that outline targets for water quality, promote circularity, and through subsidizing products that minimize waste to begin with.

Another key area to consider within SDG 12 the tourism sector. Tourism has potential to build back from the devastation ensued by the pandemic with increased resiliency and decreased dependency on the environment.  

Across the world, tourism provides crucial funds for conservation. Salaries for rangers who patrol protected areas, environmental education for local communities, and funds for alternative livelihood programs are some of many examples. Unfortunately, the very agencies that are set up to conserve natural lands are being financially drained from the pandemic. In Uganda, the pandemic has dramatically decreased tourism, resulting in a. $1.6 billion economic loss, and leaving thousands of people laid off with no means to protect critical habitats and species.  

In situations like these, organizations such as UNEP and others are needed. International organizations and frameworks lay the groundwork, providing tools, resources, and organizing frameworks to mobilize relief efforts and propose policies that support recovery. However, for truly sustainable recovery, engagement from all stakeholders, private and public, is necessary.

Humanity’s close connection to nature is undisputed. The quality of our future depends on how we chose to use and protect the environment. The United Nations is one avenue to mobilize environmental change, especially for issues that cross international borders. There are internal system changes that can be made within the UN to support the effectiveness of certain frameworks. Equally, external cooperation is needed now more than ever. We must encourage collaboration between all stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, NGOs, young people, and academics, so that the United Nations remains informed and impactful. A successful global transition to sustainable consumption and production with require a consideration of businesses, governments, and individual actions, therefore everyone needs to be on board.

September 3rd, 2021.