Options for Decoupling Economic Growth from Water Use and Water Pollution

This think piece identifies certain issues that are often “inconvenient” to discuss. It suggests several transformations to how we produce and consume natural resources that the international community must make to address inequalities.

IRP’s flagship report – The Global Resources Outlook 2024 – is out now! The pathway towards sustainability is increasingly steep and narrow, and the window of opportunity is closing. The science is clear: The key question is no longer whether a transformation towards global sustainable...

In its global report “Resource Efficiency and Climate Change: Material Efficiency Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future (RECC)” the IRP conducted a rigorous assessment of the contribution of material efficiency to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) abatement strategies.

Learn more about what the International Resource Panel is currently working on.

IRP Co-Chairs Janez Potočnik and Izabella Teixeira give their perspectives on achieving decoupling while enabling the energy transition.

The science is crystal clear that humanity currently faces triple planetary crises: climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. One of the main issues of concern in relation to responses to these planetary crises is understanding how society will respond and change. The management of human...

This report aims to provide policy makers in West Asia with insights on the trends and outlook for natural resource use and environmental impacts in the region. The report marks the first attempt of translating at regional level the methodology underlying the ‘Global Resources Outlook 2019’ (GRO...

In August 2022, the IRP submitted a Co-Chair Think Piece ‘We Need A Global Discussion On Natural Resource Management’ to the United Nations Secretary General established High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism public consultation.

To the world’s efforts to address climate change, IRP Co-Chairs Janez Potočnik and Izabella Teixeira add an indispensable missing piece: resource efficiency strategies to reduce and improve the use of natural resources.

This Think Piece evaluates to what extent, and in which conditions, urban agriculture can enhance the sustainability of urban-rural food systems and promote a circular economy in cities.

The think piece provides policy options to reduce marine plastic litter and achieve the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision, which voluntarily commits G20 countries to “reduce additional pollution by marine plastic litter to zero by 2050 through a comprehensive life-cycle approach”.

This Manual builds upon the existing experiences of compiling economy-wide material flow accounts in Europe and provides global guidance on compile material flow accounts which can be used by national statistical systems around the world.

The report draws together an evidence base that demonstrates beyond question the need for enhanced governance coordination between terrestrial activities and marine resources.

To the world’s efforts to restore and regenerate nature, IRP Co-Chairs Janez Potočnik and Izabella Teixeira add the single-biggest missing piece: natural resource management.

This report from the International Resource Panel and the One Planet network explains the ‘Value-Chain Approach’ methodology and shares findings from its application to three critical sectors: food, construction and textiles.

This report conducts a rigorous assessment of the contribution of material efficiency to GHG abatement strategies. More concretely, it assesses the reduction potential of GHG emissions from material efficiency strategies applied in residential buildings and light duty vehicles, and reviews policies...

This report looks at trade flows of material resources and their environmental impacts. It also demonstrates how both multilateral trade rules and regional trade agreements can be used proactively to advance the circular and greener economy and minimize the environmental impacts associated with...

This document provides policy recommendations extracted from IRP research over the past 10 years to drive a resource smart recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, generating socio-economic value while safeguarding the environment.

Dissemination materials from the International Resource Panel

Land restoration has tremendous potential to help the world limit climate change and achieve its aims for sustainable development. In its latest study, the International Resource Panel finds positive spin-offs to support all 17 Sustainable Development Goals agreed to by the world’s nations as part...

Through a combination of resource efficiency, climate mitigation, carbon removal, and biodiversity protection policies, this report finds that it is feasible and possible to grow economies, increase well-being and remain within planetary boundaries.

The mining sector, if carefully managed, presents enormous opportunities for advancing sustainable development particularly in low-income countries, the International Resource Panel says in its latest report. The full report, Summary for Policymakers, and factsheets are now available for download.

Re-thinking how we manufacture industrial products and deal with them at the end of their useful life could provide breakthrough environmental, social and economic benefits. Adopting value-retention processes is a win-win situation for governments, industry and customers. Governments would have...

A think piece from the International Resource Panel.

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shift future urbanization on to a more environmentally sustainable and socially just path. The Weight of Cities suggests a new approach to focus on low-carbon, resource-efficient, inclusive cities.

Better and more efficient production and use of natural resources can be one of the most cost-efficient and effective ways to reduce impacts on the environment (including pollution) and advance human well-being.

What happens when low-carbon electricity supply technologies are deployed alongside energy efficiency technologies? The International Resource Panel's assessment looks at the impacts and benefits for people and the environment.

This report analyzes four paths that countries could take over the next three decades, ranging from business as usual to a scenario where countries adopt both ambitious climate policies and improve resource efficiency. It finds that smarter use of resources can add $2 trillion annually to the...

Growing concern about assuring affordable, equitable and environmentally sustainable access to natural resources is well founded. In this report we show global natural resource use trends and propose indicators for evidence-based policy formulation.

This report explores technological possibilities and opportunities for both developing and developed countries to accelerate decoupling and reap the environmental and economic benefits of increased resource productivity.

Land resources are one of nature’s most precious gifts. They feed us and help our societies and economies to thrive. This report examines how to better evaluate and use the potential of land on the way to achieving land degradation neutrality.

Food systems depend on natural resources. But population growth, and dietary changes due to growing wealth, are creating pressures on those resources. Transforming our food systems is required if we are to meet future demands.

Low-carbon electricity generation could help meet demand while reducing climate change effects. But new technologies could create new environmental problems. This report aids informed decision-making about energy technologies, infrastructure and optimal mix.

This note draws on the findings of the United Nations’ expert panel on natural resources – the International Resource Panel (IRP) – to highlight some key policy-relevant messages on how sustainable management of natural resources can contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.

International trade is indispensable for countries to meet demand for resources not available, accessible or affordable domestically. This report looks at implications of rapidly rising trade flows for global resource and environmental efficiency.

This paper highlights the impact that pressures on the limited resource base may have on comprehensively fulfilling the aspirational and ambitious SDGs. It brings forth the need for an understanding of the nexus between components of the natural resource system and the natural and socio-economic...

This report, on the status and future potential of REDD+, describes the benefits of forests and other ecosystems as a way of demonstrating that forests have multiple values beyond carbon sequestration and are a foundation for sustainable societies.

This think piece presents the International Resource Panel's reflection on the establishment of Sustainable Development Goals aimed at decoupling economic growth from escalating resource use and environmental degradation.

This report examines the impacts of global trends - population growth, urbanization, changes in diets and consumption behaviours - on global land use, considering biodiversity, the supply of food, fibre and fuel, and resource security.

Metal production is responsible for 7-8% of global energy use as well severe environmental impacts. Recycling would decrease both, but even if recycling increased, rising global demand for many metals would remain a huge environmental challenge.

Most resource consumption takes place in cities. How a city is designed shapes how its inhabitants use transport, energy and water, and dispose of waste. The challenge is to build vibrant cities with reduced resource use and environmental impacts.

A global move to a Product-Centric approach, in which recycling targets specific components of a product and devises ways to separate and recover them, is essential. This report addresses the challenges of recycling increasingly complex products.

How do we meet the water, energy, land and material needs of up to 9 billion people, while keeping climate change, biodiversity loss and health threats within planetary boundaries?

This report brings together highlights of five previous reports to enable policy-makers and business leaders to begin decoupling economic activity from resource use to allow the global economy to operate within the limits of the Earth’s resources.

Recycling rates of metals are far lower than potential for reuse. Less than one-third of 60 studied have a recycling rate above 50 per cent, though many are crucial to clean technologies such as batteries for hybrid cars or magnets in wind turbines.

We are using unsustainable amounts of the Earth’s natural resources. We need to improve the rate of resource productivity (“doing more with less”) faster than the economic growth rate. This is the notion behind “decoupling”.

A key question that relates to the very broad and intensive use of metals is whether society needs to be concerned about long-term supplies of any or many of them. To examine this question, this reports reviews 54 studies on the topic.

This report gives a scientific assessment of which global environmental problems present the biggest challenges, and weighs up the impacts of various economic activities to identify priorities for change.

This report provides a robust assessment of key problems of production and use of biomass for energy purposes and options for more efficient and sustainable production and use of biomass.