Retail Trade and SCP Supporting Retailers in Moving Towards SCP An effective shift toward Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) requires new and different roles for different actors. The retail sector has the potential to affect change in society like no other industry, given their unique position at the heart of the value chain, where production and consumption are linked. On the one hand, retailers are in direct contact with consumers and are able to exercise significant influence on consumer purchase, use and disposal decisions. On the other hand, retailers are connected to supply chains that effectively span the globe. Retailers therefore act as gatekeepers, who determine what goods and services are on offer as well as the manner in which they are produced. A better understanding to trigger better support Many retailers are already making good use of their position and are working towards establishing more sustainable patterns of consumption and production. A supportive political framework and in-depth information on the possibilities for retailers is needed to further this development. Such was the focus of a background study conducted by the European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ETC/SCP). The study explored the potential role of food retailers in driving core socio-economic trends, presented current efforts among large supermarket chains as well as options for further action, both in terms of upstream, in-house and downstream activities. Key opportunities identified within the study include a need to prioritise product chains and priority areas for action, to concentrate more on promoting sustainable and healthier diets, as well as to support a more coordinated and holistic approach toward current and future SCP and sectoral policies. The European Topic Centre on SCP (ETC/SCP) is a consortium of the CSCP and seven other specialist partner organisations drawn from environmental authorities and research communities in Europe. The ETC/SCP is one of five European Environment Agency Topic Centres.