Sustainable Consumption and Production in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: Approaches and Practical Tools
National governments play a fundamental role in the process of incorporating sustainable consumption and production (SCP) into national policies, which is key for achieving sustainable development. With the goal of scaling up learning on the various approaches and tools for SCP in the region, UN Environment and UNITAR are partnering to deliver for the first time this interactive e-learning course especially tailored to the context of Latin America and the Caribbean region.
More information can be found in the course flyer.
Participants will learn about the global and regional SCP agendas, the international and national commitments towards SCP, and receive practical examples of different concepts, approaches, tools and indicators for SCP. The course will also present national and regional challenges and opportunities to implement policies for SCP in the context of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Additionally, participants will begin to develop basic skills for applying the SCP concept to the real world economic, policy and professional context.
The course is offered in parallel in English and Spanish language.
After completing the course, participants will be able to:
- Define the concept of SCP and explain its value for sustainable development, Agenda 2030 and its SDGs
- Distinguish key elements of effective policy planning to promote SCP
- Identify enabling conditions for mainstreaming and implementing national SCP policies and programmes, including sectoral policies and multi-stakeholder initiatives.
- Discuss principal challenges and opportunities for advancing SCP in national contexts
- Discuss global and regional SCP commitments, in particular in the context of the 10YFP
- Apply SCP to a real-life policy-making context.
The course consists of five modules.
Total number of learning hours: 32 over 8-week period (4 hours per week), including study time (2 h/week) and participation in online course activities (2 h/week).
During weeks 1–5 the study of an e-book is complemented by a range of learning activities and experiences that include interactive exercises, discussion forums, and the development of an applied SCP action plan. Weeks 6–8 are reserved for wrap-up and completing course assignments. Successful participants in the course will receive a Certificate of Completion.
The course pedagogy is adapted to professionals in full-time work. Participants are provided with the opportunity to learn through various experiences: absorb (read); do (activity); interact (socialize); and reflect (relate to one’s own reality).
The course is geared towards high- to mid-level civil servants from Latin America and the Caribbean region, directly involved in the process of developing, implementing and evaluating policies supporting the transition towards SCP.
The target group includes:
- Civil servants in national ministries, provincial departments and local authorities
- Environmental managers in the private sector, e.g. engaged in SCP projects
- Representatives from civil society organizations
- Academia representatives and researchers
- Other individuals engaged in policy processes.
Fellowships
With support of the Secretariat of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP), a number of fellowships are available for each edition of the courses (in Spanish and in English language), for participants from the region working in the public sector, academia or NGOs.
UNITAR, working in close collaboration with UN Environment, will identify and select the participants to be awarded a fellowship. The best students in the course will have the chance to gain small grant funding for the implementation of their SCP projects developed during the course.
More information can be found in the application instructions.
Please also contact scp [at] unitar.org if you need more information on the application process.
Certificate of Completion
A Certificate of Completion will be issued by UNITAR to all participants who complete the course-related assignments and assessments successfully.
Technical Requirements
Access to internet is an essential condition for participation. UNITAR recommends the following as a minimum in hardware and software to take our e-Learning courses. Please consult your Network Administrator or Systems person to ensure that you have the following:
Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME, XP or superior; MacOS 9 or MacOS X; Linux (or newer)
Hardware: 64 MB of RAM, 1 GB of free disk space
Software: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Microsoft Office (Windows or Mac) or Open Office
Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or higher or Firefox 3.6 or higher Modem: 56 K