UNFSS-通过可持续性公共采购和贸易政策提高自愿性可持续性标准（英文）-2020.9-75页_3mb

报告摘要

Summary of "Scaling up Voluntary Sustainability Standards through Sustainable Public Procurement and Trade Policy"

Core Content

The document "Scaling up Voluntary Sustainability Standards through Sustainable Public Procurement and Trade Policy" is the 4th Flagship Report of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS), published in 2020. It explores the role of government in scaling up the adoption of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) through Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and trade policy. The report highlights the importance of VSS in promoting sustainable development and aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Main Objectives

To understand the role of governments in driving the adoption of VSS.
To identify the determinants of VSS adoption at the country level.
To examine how SPP and trade policy can enhance the uptake and effectiveness of VSS.
To explore the challenges and opportunities of integrating VSS into public policy and trade agreements.

Key Findings

1. Global Trends in VSS Adoption

The number of VSS and their geographical coverage are increasing globally.
Adoption levels vary significantly across countries, with developed and middle-income countries generally adopting more VSS.
Export-oriented economies with well-functioning governments and higher levels of development tend to have higher VSS adoption.
Countries like Brazil, China, the United States, and many European nations have adopted numerous VSS.
Low-income countries such as Ethiopia and Tanzania also show high VSS adoption due to their export commodities (e.g., coffee) being widely certified.

2. Drivers for VSS Adoption

Consumer and Business Demand: Markets with high consumer demand for sustainable products and business needs for differentiation and compliance can drive VSS adoption.
Public Procurement: SPP plays a crucial role in promoting VSS by influencing supply chains and providing enforcement mechanisms.
Trade Policy: Free trade agreements (FTAs), preferential trade agreements (PTAs), and generalized system of preferences (GSP) schemes can integrate VSS to promote sustainable development.

3. Integration of VSS into SPP and Trade Policy

SPP can enhance the design and credibility of VSS by integrating them into legal frameworks and setting recognition criteria.
The inclusion of VSS in public procurement can lead to a spillover effect, increasing the reliability and reach of these standards.
Trade policy instruments, such as FTAs and GSP schemes, can condition market access on certification, thereby encouraging VSS adoption.

4. Challenges of VSS Integration

Capacity Issues: Some VSS schemes may lack the capacity to handle increased demand.
Proliferation of Labels: The lack of VSS in certain public procurement sectors may lead to the creation of additional labels, increasing confusion.
Recognition Systems: The proliferation of similar but slightly different recognition systems can complicate compliance.
Over-Certification: Mismatch between business and consumer demand for VSS can lead to over-certification.
Distributional Effects: High certification costs may exclude producers in least developed countries (LDCs) from VSS dynamics, creating a "stuck to the bottom" problem.

Key VSS and SDGs Linkages

VSS are closely aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), with 102 VSS requirements relevant to this goal.
VSS are strongly linked to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), with 78 VSS requirements matching this goal.
VSS also align with SDG 15 (Life on Land), with 60 VSS requirements relevant to this goal.
VSS can serve as indicators for progress on SDG 15, such as through the monitoring of certified forest areas by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
VSS also contribute to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by promoting multi-stakeholder participation, transparency, and public-private partnerships.

Conclusion

The report concludes that the integration of VSS into public procurement and trade policy is a powerful mechanism for scaling up their adoption and enhancing their effectiveness. It emphasizes the need for governments to strengthen procurement policies, develop VSS for underrepresented sectors, and ensure coherence in recognition systems. It also underscores the importance of aligning VSS with the SDGs to promote sustainable development on a global scale.

Key Stakeholders and Partners

UNFSS Steering Committee: Includes FAO, ITC, UNCTAD, UNEP, and UNIDO.
Partners: Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies (GGS), Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Contributors: A range of experts, researchers, and stakeholders from various countries and organizations.

Methodology

The report includes a methodological note on VSS adoption scores, which are used to measure the extent of VSS adoption at the country level.
It analyzes the correlation between export concentration and VSS adoption.
The report provides a benchmarking analysis of VSS and SDGs linkages and lists trade agreements that reference VSS or their synonyms.

Summary of Key Questions

What are the determinants of VSS adoption at the country level?
How can public procurement and trade policy increase VSS uptake and enhance their effectiveness?
What are the key considerations and implications of integrating VSS into SPP and trade policy?

Recommendations

Governments should strengthen the recognition of VSS in procurement policies.
There is a need to develop VSS for underrepresented sectors in public procurement.
Trade policies should be designed to include sustainability considerations and conditions on certification.
Efforts should be made to reduce certification costs and ensure equitable access to VSS for all producers, including those in LDCs.

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