Phase 1 In 1995, with the support of the Government of Norway, IISD initiated its Virtual Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Production and Consumption. The purpose of the Dialogue was to seek knowledge and viewpoints from around the world, to inform the Government of Norway, and other governments, as they begin to address the challenges put forth by Chapter 4 of Agenda 21. This Dialogue attracted a network of 300 experts and researchers in the field, to discuss a wide range of topics, including definitions, economic incentives, energy efficiency, indicators, and values. Phase 2 Innovative instruments for sustainable production and consumption As the Dialogue wound down in 1996, it became clear that more information was needed on instruments which governments have put into place to promote sustainable production and consumption. Our next step, therefore, was to build an Internet resource base on the innovative instruments themselves. The aim is to provide access to practical suggestions and examples on what governments can and are doing to enhance, facilitate, regulate and inform about production and consumption. In the longer term this compendium of innovative instruments will be expanded to include innovative practices for businesses, communities, and other sectors. We are drawing on the information of the DESA, the Government of Norway, IISD, the network of 300 experts within the Virtual Policy Dialogue, and the experiences of individual governments. In keeping with the spirit of the Virtual Policy Dialogue, we are inviting users to provide input to and feedback to our work. Examples of innovative instruments can be submitted directly to the compendium and will be approved by IISD. International Electronic Conferences To further the opportunity for public input into policy development, we are conducting several online conferences around key meetings on sustainable production and consumption. The first of these was a four week international electronic conference, funded by the Government of Norway, on Global Product Chains: Northern Consumption, Southern Production and Sustainability from 9-23 March 1998. Starting the 26th of April, 1999, we will open our second conference, moderated by Dr. Norman Myers, on "The New Consumers".
		Definitions & Concepts | Key Sources | Compendium of Instruments Electronic Conferences | Project Information