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In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the key to a sustainable planet lies in resource management.
Since the Paris Agreement nearly a decade ago, attention to climate change has increased significantly. More than 5,000 climate-related laws and policies have been adopted around the world to limit global warming. In 2019, the European Union’s Green Deal was launched “to harmonize the economy and the planet, to harmonize the way we produce and consume with the planet and make it work for people.”
But we are very far from this vision. Despite political efforts and a growing scientific understanding of the threats at hand, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, extreme weather events and climate disasters become more frequent, and the world faces an unprecedented decline in biodiversity. We are witnessing the loss of sexuality. In the words of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest assessment is a “code red for humanity.”
The deeply alarming finding is that global temperatures may already have exceeded the 1.5°C increase since the industrial revolution era set as the desired upper limit in the agreement, and could exceed the 2°C threshold within the next decade. It means that it has sex. According to the European Environment Agency’s climate risk assessment, Europe is the world’s warmest continent. Rising temperatures are drying out southern Europe, leading to crop failures and less water availability. In fact, this is already happening. These conditions compact soils, increasing the risk of sudden flooding, while drying vegetation accelerates the spread of wildfires.
resource extraction
According to the International Resource Panel, the world is in the midst of a triple global crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste. However, while much attention has been paid to reducing greenhouse gases, less focus has been placed on resource extraction. But the evidence is clear. Resource extraction and processing are responsible for 90 percent of the world’s biodiversity loss and water stress, 55 percent of global emissions, and more than 40 percent of the health impacts of air pollution.
To make matters worse, this resource consumption is unevenly distributed. Given that the fourth global crisis is related to global social inequalities, the inequities are blatantly obvious. The poorest people, 1.2 billion, account for just 1 percent of global consumption, while the richest people, 1 billion, account for 72 percent.
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The material footprint of a country or region is the total amount of fossil fuels, biomass, metals and minerals consumed (adjusted to include amounts included in imports and exclude amounts included in exports). This is based on mass and is usually defined in the EU in tonnes. per person. Most climate change initiatives only address the fossil fuel component, ignoring the other three.
In 2022, raw material use in the EU increased to an average of 14.8 tonnes per person. This was double his fair and sustainable level, and only eight of her Member States exceeded it. Since the late 2000s, the only time EU raw material consumption has fallen significantly was after the 2008 financial crisis and the onset of the pandemic. that can’t be right Rather than achieving it through democratic and targeted political means, it relies on socially disastrous events to reduce its material footprint.
“Decoupling” growth?
Climate change legislation has had some success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and averting even greater ecological catastrophe. Some analysts believe that a “decoupling” of economic growth and emissions is occurring in many countries, and that some countries have achieved absolute decoupling (reducing emissions rather than just decreasing the rate of growth). It is claimed that there is. However, when including the material footprint, there is so far no evidence of even relative decoupling of gross domestic product (see graph).
Relative changes in the world’s major economic and environmental indicators from 1970 to 2018
The European Climate Act and the Green Deal represent a major step towards sustainability for the EU. But they fail to connect the climate crisis with other escalating global concerns, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, resource depletion, human rights violations, rising inequality and stagnant welfare.
The EU is also implementing a Circular Economy Action Plan. However, the relevant legislative proposals and legal instruments are not aimed at reducing resource use, and there are no binding targets for reducing material consumption. The plan also does not prioritize the top tier of the waste hierarchy, minimizing the need for additional products and resources in the first place through better system design.
linear model
According to the European Environment Agency, Europe still operates largely on a linear model. This suggests that achieving significant reductions in waste generation by 2030 is unlikely, highlighting the need for more comprehensive and systemic change.
In an open letter, more than 100 signatories, including non-governmental organizations, academics and think tanks, called for the creation of an EU Sustainable Resource Management Act to codify resource management, similar to the Climate Act for greenhouse gas emissions. I’m looking for it. It is a means of driving the EU towards a less materially intensive economy, with the EU and Member States actively playing a role in reducing their material footprint. It would allow flexibility in implementation across the country and involve the public and workers.
Envisioned targets include reducing the EU’s material use to 5 tonnes. per person from the current 14.8 to 2050, with interim targets for 2030 and 2040. National targets will be developed taking into account the specific national situation.
The EU and its member states can work on developing strategies to achieve these goals, with a focus on high-consumption sectors. These align with net zero and circularity goals and ensure a holistic and mutually reinforcing approach to environmental challenges.
Prioritize sufficiency
EU resource law has the potential to increase resource efficiency while prioritizing sufficiency. This approach will strengthen the union’s resilience by rationalizing infrastructure and reducing excessive energy consumption. It also has the potential to reduce Europe’s dependence on energy imports and reduce global pressures that fuel armed conflicts around the world.
The law will also reduce demand for critical minerals and other materials, reducing mining pressure not only in Europe but also in third countries. Perhaps even more importantly, it will help protect Europe’s water resources, prevent potential conflicts over their use and strengthen water security.
What if cities were not only designed to decarbonize through private electric vehicles, but also focused on dematerialization by designing more bike lanes, green spaces, and making cities more walkable? Imagine, it’s all good for business and welfare. By 2050, more than two-thirds of Europeans will live in cities, so it is important to design climate-resilient and human-centered urban areas.
worker rights
Reducing resource use can also have implications for workers’ rights and leisure time: time to spend with family, pursue hobbies, and participate in low-impact activities. As mental health continues to deteriorate in overworked and increasingly precarious European societies, shortening working hours not only contributes to the well-being of workers, but also has the potential to have a positive impact on families, the economy and the environment. there is.
In one study of more than 10,000 people in 29 high- and middle-income countries, 70 percent of respondents agreed that “overconsumption is putting the planet and society at risk,” and 65 percent said, “If… “Our society would be better off if we had consumption.” People shared more and owned less. ” Many Europeans are already putting this vision into practice by developing concrete initiatives.
It is time for the EU to establish an appropriate policy framework for the success of such initiatives. They help keep the Earth within its boundaries, foster healthy populations, and promote world peace. Sustainable resource use is a key element for a habitable and more peaceful planet.
Diego Marin is Policy Officer for Raw Materials and Resource Justice at the European Environment Agency. He holds a Master’s degree in International Development, specializing in Political Strategy and Communication, from the Brussels School of International Relations at the University of Kent.
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