Action Plan for sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and sustainable industrial policy (SIP)

Much can be done to make the way we consume and produce in Europe more sustainable.

This can be done without additional costs for European companies and consumers and can bring benefits, either through energy and natural resources savings or by grasping new opportunities offered by a "green" economy.

The Action Plan [65 KB] (16 July 2008) aims at ensuring EU continued leadership in environmental performance by:

• creating a new sustainable product policy, in order to improve the environmental performance of products on the market and help consumers to buy more eco-friendly products
• encouraging eco-innovation so that EU businesses adapt to the markets of the future
• supporting the competitiveness of eco-industries
• contributing to a low carbon economy internationally.

The Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy details the list of actions:

• Ecodesign standardsfor a wider range of products
• improved energy and environmental labelling
• incentives rewarding eco-friendly products, including green public procurement
• work with retailers
• support to environmental industries
• promotion of sustainable industry internationally.