New "Panama Green Label" to promote sustainable production in businesses
The government of Panama announced the launch of the new "Panama
Green Label" to be developed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry
(MICI) and the Union of Industrialists of Panama (SIP) with support
and technical assistance from the OAS-SEDI Department of Sustainable
Development. The Label - announced on March 19, 2014 at the
IX
International Symposium on Cleaner Production, co-sponsored by
the OAS - seeks to promote the implementation of sustainable
production processes and environmentally respectful products by
companies.
The
Green Label will become a local recognition for companies that are
committed to implementing Closed Looped Cycle Production (CLCP) and
the Cradle to
Cradle® international certification in which experts assess the
toxicity of materials used in products and define a path to improve
product design and manufacturing processes. This concept encourages
sustainable production and consumption behavior in closed loop or
circular economies, which - unlike traditional linear processes -
maintain resources in continuous use in order to reduce dependency
to and extraction of non-renewable natural resources. This
initiative is undertaken “in an effort to provide consumers with
export quality products, manufactured observing best practices” said
President of SIP, Michelle Ureña de Maduro.
During the symposium, the OAS-SEDI hosted an inter-sectoral meeting
on competitiveness and environmental performance of MSMEs, as part
of the Pathway to Prosperity initiative, which led to the exchange
of ideas and experiences on innovative methodologies for competitive
and sustainable production. Participants included representatives
from cleaner production Centers in the region, SME governmental
authorities, the private sector and academia.
Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Sustainable Development of
the Americas convened in Santo Domingo in 2010, declared that
unsustainable patterns of production and consumption is a complex
challenge for sustainable development and human well-being, and that
the deterioration of the goods and services provided by ecosystems
has an impact on economies and livelihoods of communities that
depend on them, affecting their resilience. In this sense, they
committed to support the improvement of environmental performance of
productive sectors in the region, promoting sustainable patterns of
production and consumption.
The efforts of the OAS in Panama will focus on increasing awareness
and acceptance by all stakeholders - government, national companies,
National Centers for Cleaner Production, Small Business Development
Centers and Chambers of Commerce, among others- about the relevance
and feasibility of implementing innovative design and production
methods and of Closed Looped Cycle Production certification as a
means to meet the commitments made by Member States.
A successful program: the experience of
Ecuador
in sustainable production
The program in
Panama builds on the experience of the
pilot project conducted in Ecuador during the first phase of
Closed Looped Cycle Production (CLCP) in the Americas Program
between 2011 and 2013. The project had implications both at
company and public policy levels, paving the way for the
country’s effective move towards cleaner production.
Results:
ü
Creation and
adoption of a National Program for Closed Looped Cycle Production
ü
Delivery of
the first basic Cradle to Cradle ® certification of a packaged
product in Latin America and the Caribbean
for the Ecuadorian company Batery Alimentos SA
ü
Progress
towards the establishment of a new Center for Cleaner Production
in Ecuador
ü
Inclusion of a chapter in the
National Development Plan "Plan for Good Living 2013-2017"
dedicated to promoting Closed Looped Cycle Production in the
country.
In addition to
Panama, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago will also
participate in the second phase of the OAS-SEDI Program.
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