THE CIPD CYCLE

Monitoring and evaluating efforts to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns can get complicated. How do we find out way through this maze?

In figuring out how to navigate our way through the many different dimensions of production and consumption issues, SPAC Watch participants agreed to use a simple schema - CIPD - looking at production and consumption as a part of a cycle, which includes the elements of investment and marketing.

 

Thus, seen as a cycle moving from Consumption (C) to Investment (I) to Production (P) to Disribution (D) back to Consumption, each of the various stages can be analyzed both in terms of their impact on Sustainability (S) and the quality of life as well as the policies and changes needed to orient them towards these priorities.

 

Whether addressing the topic of energy, fresh water, food, or information, we first begin with consumption: what do people need and want to maintain or improve their quality of life? Are those needs being met in a sustainable way? Next, we look at the investment of resources needed and directed to meet those needs. Then we examine the production of products and services needed to meet those needs. Are current production processes contributing to or undermining our quality of life? Next, we examine the marketing of those products and services-not just distribution, transportation and packaging, but also advertising and sales/ trade.   Finally we return to the question of in what ways the different elements of this cycle contribute to the goal of achieving sustainable consumption.

Visit the ICSPAC "Policies and Practices" page which has been constructed usng the CIPD schema