Article**: Oceans and Wetlands.
On March 1, 2024, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a new report called 2024 Global Resource Outlook (GRO) during the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. The report, developed by the International Resource Panel chaired by UN Environment and authors from around the world, calls for comprehensive policy changeFeed human energy into and out of it and reduce the projected growth in resource use by one-third, while growing the economy, improving well-being, and minimizing environmental impact.
Above: A truckload of sand has just arrived at a construction site in Baoding, Hebei province. Green Society's Convergence Media and Sea Wetting Working Group.
Over the past 50 years, the extraction of the Earth's natural resources has doubled, which is associated with the large-scale construction of infrastructure and high levels of material consumption in many parts of the world, especially in upper-middle-income countries and regions. The report saidBy 2060, material extraction is expected to increase by 60%.This could undermine efforts to achieve not only global climate, biodiversity and pollution goals, but also economic prosperity and human well-being.
The report foundSince 1970, resource use has increased from 3 billion tonnes to 106 billion tonnes, i.e. from 23 kg to 39 kg per person per day, with a huge impact on the environment. Overall, resource extraction and processing account for more than 60% of global warming emissions, and air pollution accounts for more than 40% of health impacts.
The extraction and processing of biomass, such as crops and forestry, accounts for 90% of land-related biodiversity loss and water stress, as well as one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, the mining and processing of fossil fuels, metallic and non-metallic minerals such as sand, gravel, clay) together account for 35% of global emissions.
At the heart of global resource use is fundamental inequality:Low-income countries consume six times less material and produce 10 times less climate impact than high-income countries. Due to the growth of their own infrastructure and the shift of resource-intensive processes from high-income countriesResource use in upper-middle-income countries has more than doubled over the past 50 years。At the same time,Per capita resource use and associated environmental impacts in low-income countriesStill relatively low, andLittle has changed since 1995
Where consumption levels are very high, more attention is being paid to reducing the level of resource and material consumption in order to complement actions in production and resource efficiency. Where resource use needs to grow, strategies can be developed to maximize the value of each unit of the resource used and to meet human needs in a non-resource-intensive way, so that the benefits of resource use far exceed the rate at which they can be extracted and utilized. Environmental and health impacts are in line with international obligations on climate, biodiversity and sustainability.
Specific recommendations include:
Institutionalize resource governance and identify resource use pathways, in particular by considering sustainable resource use in strategies for the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and improve the capacity of countries to benchmark and set targets for resource consumption and productivity. Channeling funds towards sustainable resource use by reflecting the true cost of resources in the structure of the economy (i.e., subsidies, regulation, taxes, boosts, infrastructure, and planning). Other recommendations include channeling private financing towards sustainable resource use and integrating resource-related risks into the responsibilities of public and ** banks.
Mainstream sustainable consumption choices by ensuring that consumers have the right information, are accessible and affordable for sustainable goods and services. Such measures must be combined with regulation to discourage or prohibit resource-intensive products (e.g., non-essential, single-use plastic products). For example, by introducing multilateral environmental agreements into agreements, creating a level playing field where the true environmental and social costs of commodities are reflected in the agreement, thus becoming an engine for sustainable resource use.
Create circular, resource-efficient, and low-impact solutions and business models, including waste, reduction, eco-design, reuse, remediation, and **, as well as supportive monitoring and evaluation of existing systems.
Taken together, these policies can transform the built environment, transportation, food, and energy systems, thereby contributing to a surge in renewable energy and energy efficiency, decarbonizing material production, making cities more walkable and bicycle-friendly, and providing better public transportation and remote work opportunities, as well as reducing food loss and waste. Diets in high- and upper-middle-income countries will reduce animal protein intake, while low-income economies will increase resource use to achieve a dignified life.
SuchThe systemic shift is expected to peak resource extraction in 2040 and reduce use to just 20% below 2020 levels by 2060. Greenhouse gas emissions will fall by more than 80 per cent, stocks of transport-related materials and building materials will fall by 50 per cent and 25 per cent, and agricultural land will be reduced by 5 per cent. At the same time, food production will increase by 40% to support the population. Even if there is growth and food security, the global economy will grow by 3 per cent and the human development index will increase by 7 per cent, leading to higher incomes and better lives.
Given the failure to deliver on many of the policy commitments in multilateral environmental agreements to date and the urgency of the triple planetary crisis, the report supports immediate action to follow the principles of "best available science".
Above: Building materials cement, sand, gravel, etc. Green Society's Convergence Media and Sea Wetting Working Group.
United Nations Environment Programme International Resource Panel (UNEP IRP).
Launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2007, the International Resource Group of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) aims to establish a science-policy interface on the sustainable use of natural resources, particularly their environmental impacts throughout their life cycles. The group is made up of renowned scientists with expertise in resource management issues. It examines key issues related to global resource use and produces assessment reports that distill the latest scientific, technological and socio-economic findings to inform decision-making.
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