Commission consults on sustainable industrial policy

The European Commission has launched a consultation on sustainable consumption and production and sustainable industrial policy. Contributions to the consultation will be used by the Commission to prepare Action Plans on these topics.

In a background document to the consultation, the Commission notes that current patterns of consumption and production are leading to the rapid depletion of natural sources, such as oil reserves and fish stocks, as well as causing major environmental degradation. Although new technologies mean that new products are more and more efficient, these gains are being offset by increasing consumption.

‘To meet this challenge, there is a need for advancement in technological development and in innovation,’ the Commission writes. ‘We also need to change our consumption patterns.’

The Commission aims to develop a sustainable industrial policy which will have at its heart the concept of turning environmental challenges into economic opportunities for society. The key environmental issues identified by the Commission are climate change and a low-carbon economy; sustainable and efficient use of natural resources, energy and materials; and the phasing out of hazardous substances and endangered materials from production processes and products. According to the Commission, the Action Plans will take into account competitiveness, energy, environmental and social aspects.

EU Business