12.8 Information and awareness for sustainable development
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Whether it's food, mobility or clothing, consumption as a cross-sectional issue encompasses all areas of our everyday lives. In accordance with that, many ministries and stakeholders are involved in promoting sustainable consumption in Germany. The Competence Center for Sustainable Consumption was established to support their cooperation, the networking of activities, and the exchange and provision of knowledge. Subordinate authorities of several participating ministries work closely together in the Competence Center, and the office is located at the Federal Environment Agency.

Education for Sustainable Development enables people to think and act with a long-term perspective. It enables each individual to understand the effects of his/her/their own actions on the world and to make responsible decisions. The educational concept describes a holistic and transformative education that takes into account the learning content, pedagogy and learning environment. Learners of all ages should be enabled to shape themselves and the society they live in in a sustainable way.
2020 saw the launch of the new UNESCO program "Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs" (ESD for 2030). As an important driver for the Agenda 2030, UNESCO's follow-up program on ESD is closely linked to the Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs.

Like the previous UNESCO World Programme of Action on Education for Sustainable Development (WAP ESD, 2015-2019), the new program aims to anchor education for sustainable development in the education system in the long term. This objective and the national multi-actor process - under the leadership of the BMBF - will therefore also be continued at national level. The focus here is on implementing the National Action Plan for ESD.

The new program also takes up social and psychological prerequisites of each individual as important conditions for transformation and places these more at the center of ESD. It aims to address the empowerment of learners to drive social transformation toward sustainability. Another important goal will be to further promote ESD at the political level.
In accordance with the key role of ESD for all SDGs, (see SDG 4.7) ESD also makes an important contribution to the achievement of SDG 12 by providing the necessary organizational competencies.

The AskREACH project aims to sensitise consumers, trade and industry throughout Europe to so-called "substances of very high concern". The project is developing a smartphone app that consumers can use to obtain information about such substances or request information from suppliers. The legal framework for this is constituted by the European chemicals regulation REACH.

The Consumer Information Programme for Sustainable Consumption and Production (CI-SCP) supports and implements projects, develops strategies and presents existing initiatives to help consumers make sustainable choices. It is led by the Environment Ministries of Germany and Indonesia, and the NGO Consumers International. The programme is supported by a Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee, which provides technical and strategic advice and a network of partners.

On 27 January 2011 in Berlin, Germany SAVE FOOD was introduced to the public by the partners Messe Düsseldorf and the FAO. SAVE FOOD puts the issue of global food losses onto the political and economic agenda. Together with members from business, politics and civil society, SAVE FOOD aims to drive innovation, promote interdisciplinary dialogue and initiate debate in order to generate solutions to reduce food waste, across the entire value chain "from the field to the plate".