sustainability Article Sustainable Drinking Bars in China: Evidence, Initiatives, and Guidelines Based on the 2030 Agenda Yuanbo Li School of Public Policy and Management, Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; [email protected] Received: 3 December 2019; Accepted: 3 January 2020; Published: 7 January 2020 Abstract: China is a fascinating market in terms of alcohol consumption. Although drinking bars originated in the West, economic and societal developments have spread the concept throughout China. In 2017, there were approximately 59,600 drinking bars in China, with a 44.06 billion RMB market size. Given societal development, the Chinese bar industry has gradually paid attention to environmental protection and sustainable development. A sustainable bar adopts a management model that reduces and recycles waste and saves energy. The social responsibility of bars is reflected in sustainable consumption. The concept of sustainable bars has been well-received worldwide. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) provides direction on sustainable development to relevant stakeholders. The 2030 Agenda contains 17 interactive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the SDG12. Thus, it is important to explore the development of Chinese sustainable bars under the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. Hence, the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals (TUSDG) of Tsinghua University, Pernod Ricard China, and Kantar China organized one tripartite research group and conducted investigations on drinking bars from three megacities (Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing) to explore the situation, recognition, perspectives, and actions of sustainable bars in China. The results have significant implications. Moreover, the three parties jointly released the “Sustainable Bar Operation Initiatives” and the “Operational Sustainable Bar Application Guidelines” for the bar industry in China. Keywords: China; drinking bars; 2030 Agenda; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); initiatives and guidelines 1. Introduction Sustainable development refers to a combination of the sustainability of economic and societal development, as well as sustainable resources and the environment on which the economic society depends. To summarize the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000 to 2015, in September 2015, state leaders adopted the document “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (The 2030 agenda) at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, as well as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [1]. Currently, there is a worldwide consensus on the Post-2015 development agenda regarding sustainable development. The international community and China attach great importance to the 2030 Agenda, which contains 17 interrelated SDGs. SDGs include 17 goals as follows. SDG1: No poverty. SDG2: Zero Hunger. SDG3: Good health and well-being. SDG4: Quality education. SDG5: Gender equality. SDG6: Clean water and sanitation. SDG7: Affordable and clean energy. SDG8: Decent work and economic growth. SDG9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure. SDG10: Reduced inequalities. SDG11: Sustainable cities and communities. SDG12: Responsible consumption and production. SDG13: Climate action. SDG14: Life below water. SDG15: Life on land. SDG16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions. SDG17: Partnerships for the goals. Overall, the SDGs have 169 targets and 232 indicators [2]. It is worth Sustainability 2020, 12, 445; doi:10.3390/su12020445 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2020, 12, 445 2 of 29 noting that the 17 SDGs are interrelated and indispensable, combining three factors of sustainable development (economic, social, and environmental) and five dimensions (people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership) [3]. The sustainability of services and consumption is also part of the 2030 Agenda, mainly reflected in the Goal 12 “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”. The first use of the term “sustainable consumption and production” was by the Oslo Symposium in 1994, where sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is posed as “the use of services and related products which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of further generations” [4]. The revised UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection in 2015, based on the first adopted version in 1985 and the expanded version in 1999, encourage Member States, relevant organizations, groups, business, and civil society to promote sustainable consumption, which has been listed in the objectives of guidelines [5]. In 2012, during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), it adopted a global framework for SCP- the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP) for transforming consumption into SCP in both developing and developed countries [6]. SCP became the cornerstone of the SDG12 in 2015 and one driving norm for both production and consumption globally [7]. For SCP in the 2030 Agenda since 2015, current SDG12 in 2019 contains 11 targets and 13 indicators [8]. Target 12.3 of SDG12 states that “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”. Its corresponding indicator, 12.3.1, is the “(a) Food Loss Index and (b) food waste index”. Target 12.5 states that “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse”. Its corresponding indicator, 12.5.1, is the “national recycling rate [and] tons of material recycled”. Target 12.6 states that “Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle”. Its corresponding indicator, 12.6.1, is the “Number of companies publishing sustainability reports”. Moreover, SDG12 is closely related to the other SDGs [3]. SCP is also important for China, which is the largest developing country in terms of territory, population, economy and market size. China has achieved great progress in economic and social development during the past three decades with expanding market size and attractive market opportunities for companies. After achieving world-renowned economic achievements, China begins to reflect on environmental issues and costs. For SCP at the national level, on one hand for sustainable production, there is the adjustment of industry structure, promotion of a circular economy and cleaner production, energy conservation and emission reduction. On the other hand, for sustainable consumption, there are eco-labelling, green procurement, and the promotion of waste management in China [9]. For sustainable consumption and the circular economy in China, recently, various research papers related to green economy and consumption and low-carbon consumption have been published [10]. However, approaches from government system in China for SCP are thought to be insufficient while significant changes in consumption patterns occur for large and rapid urbanization [11]. Challenges or barriers for SCP in China may include the extensive growth model, regional development inequality, technology and innovation capacity, underdevelopment of NGOs, poor regulation and practices, financial mechanisms, markets, culture, and information [9,10]. The participation of private enterprises and consumers is also crucial to sustainable development and SDGs, which includes SDG12 and SCP,in the world and in China. There are already several existing studies in China for SCP at national and macro-level. Hence, this study begins at a micro and new aspect, taking the drinking bar industry as one example to explore sustainable development and SDGs in China. Given the rapid development of China’s drinking bar industry and the environment-protection awareness of consumers, the development of sustainable bars is trending both abroad and inside China. To understand the development of Chinese sustainable bars and the response of Chinese bars to sustainable development and SDGs, from March to May 2019, the Institute for Sustainable Sustainability 2020, 12, 445 3 of 29 Development Goals (TUSDG) of Tsinghua University, the Pernod Ricard China, a French world-class alcoholic beverages company, and the Kantar China, an UK world-class consulting company, jointly completed a qualitative and quantitative survey and a workshop on the development of Chinese sustainable bars based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thus, this study has four main goals: 1. To understand the current situation of the drinking bar industry in China and sustainable bars worldwide. 2. To understand how Chinese drinking bar operators manage their bars with respect to sustainable development, what specific actions and measures are in place, and what can be done in the future. 3. To investigate how Chinese drinking bar practitioners and operators view the UN 2030 agenda and the 17 SDGs, as well as how sustainable bars in China can contribute to achieving such agenda and goals. 4. To evaluate the opinions of practitioners and operators of drinking bars in China regarding the results obtained and draft operational guidelines for sustainable bars in China in the context