About MTP » About MTP > Background
This Programme provides core support for the product policy aspects of the UK Government Framework for Sustainable Consumption and Production. Sustainable consumption and production is a key element of ‘Securing the Future - UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy’.
The Market Transformation Programme (MTP) also contributes to a number of other Government policies and programmes, for example the new Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme (BREW) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). Funding from BREW has facilitated the expansion of programme coverage into waste aspects of products.
The Government defines Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) as:
A major shift to deliver new products and services with lower environmental impacts across their life cycle, while at the same time boosting competitiveness. And the need to build on people’s growing awareness of social and environmental concerns, and the importance of their roles as citizens and consumers.
Securing the Future
Sustainable consumption and production requires us to achieve more with less. Success will involve tackling complex factors which affect consumption and production patterns. Social and cultural values lie behind people's aspirations and choices. Manufacturers and retailers have a major influence on both consumers and supply chains. Individual actions are often determined by local infrastructure, such as housing or transport links. Change will require innovation in both technologies and behaviours.
MTP has a particular focus on the role of products in this situation: Many of the avoidable impacts that arise from the choices people make, in what they consume and how they use and dispose of products, are already “designed-in”, long before they reach the end-consumer. The ‘product’ aspects of SCP, of which MTP is a key part, are focussed on:
MTP's aim is achieved by providing consensus-based information to Government, its agencies, industry, trade bodies and others who are involved in designing and implementing policies and measures that influence the environmental impact of products. The Programme
MTP is managed by Defra’s Sustainable Products and Materials Division through a consortium of contractors. The lead contractor is AEA Technology plc, working with the Building Research Establishment, Intertek Research and Testing Centre and Consumer Research Associates and a growing number of other experts as required.
MTP holds regular stakeholder meetings to develop policy strategies for domestic and commercial products. Join an Interest Group to receive information about future meetings and updates on policy developments in your area of interest. Opportunities for contributing to the MTP will be advertised as they become available.
The programme covers products that consume large amounts of energy and water at the point of use and are responsible for a significant waste and hazardous materials arising at end of their useful life:
The programme also incorporates Defra's work on the Ecolabel.
The scope of the programme is now expanding to capture waste impacts of both energy using and non energy using products. For a full list of products see Product Strategy area.
MTP helps business to:
MTP benefits Government through:
Click HERE to see a number of case studies demonstrating how the programme has achieved market transformation.
The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme has been created to return additional landfill tax receipts to business, from April 2005, in a way that supports businesses by improving their waste management and resource efficiency. This will mostly be achieved through developing and expanding existing programmes that have already proven successful. One of the programmes that is receiving support is MTP.
To date, MTP has focused on reducing carbon emissions from products in-use. The challenge now is to extend MTP to address whole life resource efficiency. For example, MTP is already addressing water efficiency of domestic appliances and waste from televisions. As a direct result of BREW funding, in 2005/06 MTP plan to deal more comprehensively with:
Working with delivery partners, this first year of the BREW programme will see MTP building its product information to identify which products and impacts present the best opportunity for mitigating environmental impact in future years.
For more information on the BREW Programme and links to other BREW supported programmes visit www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/brew
Funding of MTP comes from a number of sources. Core funding for the programme has been provided historically from Defra’s Environment Business and Consumers (EBC) Division, more recently as part of the Government’s Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) strategy. During 2005/06 MTP has also become one of a number of delivery bodies under the BREW programme. BREW was initiated in April 2005, and aims to return additional landfill tax receipts to business in a way that supports businesses in improving their resource efficiency and waste management. BREW funding is allowing MTP to expand its remit to cover product related waste impacts, focusing initially on end of life impacts.
A key aim for MTP is to develop co-operative relationships with other Government policies and programmes; some of these may result in additional funding for collaborative activities. In addition, the programme seeks opportunities for funding from other sources where these afford good synergy with the programme aims.
The performance of the programme is routinely monitored against a series of performance indicators. These have been designed to assess the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Programme and its activities. The performance indicators feed into the Programme's overall evaluation framework, and the results are reported on an annual basis.
Please click HERE to download the pdf file of a report entitled 'Independent Review of the Market Transformation Programme' by Professor John H Chesshire (published 2000).