Conscious consumption

UN environment strategist Bas de Leeuw tells participants at the International Green Purchasing Congress yesterday that consumers are increasingly interested in what lies behind products they buy.

'They want to know who and where and by whom the product has been produced,' said Mr de Leeuw, who heads a production and consumption strategy unit at the UN Environment Programme.

Environment minister Sarah Liao Sau-tung called on companies to add their purchasing power to the government's in buying 'green' products to boost growth and combat pollution.