International Resource Panel (IRP)

Environmental impact footprints differ greatly between income country groups. Trade reenforces this inequality: High-income countries displace environmental impacts to all other income country groups, which means they import resources and materials that cause environmental impacts in the exporting regions.    The #GRO24 shows that differences in impacts for food provisioning systems between high and low/middle-income countries is a multiplication factor of approximately 3 and 2, for climate change and land-related biodiversity impacts, respectively, while high-income regions cause more than 10 times more climate impacts to obtain provisioning systems of energy, mobility and built environment than low- and lower middle-income regions. 

No change is without challenges. To deliver on decoupling, unsustainable patterns of resource use need to be reconfigured or replaced by sustainable modes of producing and consuming that respect the capacity of the planet, meet people’s needs and improve human dignity.    Transitions are hugely complex and uncertain processes of change that can take decades to unfold. To achieve a successful transformation of our current unsustainable system, we must overcome different barriers and lock-ins ranging from economic to behavioural, institutional and vested power dynamics, as well as skills, information and knowledge constraints. 

🌍 Strengthening Global Impact: 1,188 References to the IRP in 2024 We are pleased to share that between January 1 and October 31, 2024, the International Resource Panel (IRP) was referenced 1,188 times across academia, media, policymaking, and various institutions. Key highlights include:  📚 Academia: 796 references, underscoring the IRP’s role in advancing research and knowledge.  📰 Media: 262 references, demonstrating the growing public and policy interest in resource efficiency.  🏛 Think Tanks & Institutions, International Organizations, and National Governments have also actively engaged with IRP findings to shape evidence-based strategies. These figures reflect the IRP’s continued relevance in shaping global discussions on sustainable resource management. We extend our appreciation to the researchers, policymakers, and professionals who utilize and amplify our work. Together, we advance science-based solutions for a sustainable future. #Sustainability #ResourceEfficiency #PolicyImpact #IRP #Research #GlobalSustainability 

🌍 How well do you know about provisioning systems? This concept brings together ecological, technological, institutional, and social elements that interact to transform natural resources into solutions that meet human needs. By considering both material and political-economic dimensions, this approach helps us understand how resources are used to deliver social outcomes.  A provisioning systems perspective enables us to go beyond sector-specific solutions that may have unintended consequences. Instead, it helps identify less resource-intensive alternatives that are often more effective than what initially appears to be a sustainable solution.  The Global Resources Outlook 2024 (#GRO24) finds that four provisioning systems account for 90% of global material use:   ⚡ Energy  🍽 Food  🏙 Built Environment  🚆 Mobility Learn more about this integrated approach and its implications for sustainability in #GRO24: [insert link]  #Sustainability #ResourceEfficiency #ProvisioningSystems #GRO24 #CircularEconomy #GlobalResources    https://lnkd.in/dgCDvz2d 

IRP at Mining INDABA 📅 Date: Monday, 3 February ⏰ Time: 15:00-17:00 (SAST) 📍 Venue: CTICC, Cape Town (as part of the Investing in African Mining Indaba) This pivotal event will address The Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030, with a focus on managing historic legacies while fostering positive outcomes for communities and the environment. 🎤 Session Moderator: Adam Matthews Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Chair of the Church of England Pensions Board, and Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030 🎙️ Distinguished Speakers: - Paul Ekins Panel Member, International Resource Panel (IRP) - Dr. Rory Sullivan CEO, Chronos Sustainability, and Secretariat for Mining 2030 - Gemma James Head of Biodiversity and Nature, Chronos Sustainability, and Secretariat for Mining 2030 This event provides a critical platform to discuss the financing and governance mechanisms needed to secure a responsible supply of minerals essential for the global energy transition. 🔗 Join us to contribute to this vital dialogue and help shape a sustainable future. #SustainableDevelopment #EnergyTransition #ResponsibleMining #MiningIndaba #GlobalInvestment #IRP

🌍 As we begin 2025, the International Resource Panel (IRP) reflects on the achievements of 2024 and looks forward with optimism to a year of progress and collaboration in advancing sustainable resource management. 2024 Highlights: - Convened the 31st and 32nd IRP meetings. - Launched the Global Resources Outlook 2024, offering essential insights for shaping sustainable policies. - Published technical guidelines on resource efficiency and climate change tailored for Argentina, Indonesia, and Mexico. - Welcomed Uruguay and Ghana to the IRP Steering Committee, enhancing global representation. Looking Ahead in 2025: - Launching impactful reports on energy transition minerals and resource-efficient economies. - Expanding the Global Material Flows Database to enable informed, data-driven decisions. - Hosting the 33rd IRP Meeting in São Paulo, aligned with the World Circular Economy Forum. The IRP remains steadfast in its commitment to providing science-based solutions that support a sustainable and equitable future. With collaboration and shared purpose, we aim to turn today’s challenges into opportunities for lasting impact. #Sustainability #ResourceEfficiency #GlobalCollaboration #HopeForTheFuture #IRP2025

📢OUT NOW: Global Resource Outlook 2024 - Case Studies While the #GRO24 discusses material resource use and its environmental impacts on the global and regional scale, data at country level underpins the analyses in Chapters 2 and 3. This Annex presents country profiles based on this country-level data, covering data on material flows and environmental impacts of resource use for a set of eight countries: Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Lithuania, Nigeria, Poland, and South Africa. The objective of these country profiles is to illustrate that the data and assessments presented in the report can also be applied at national level. ➡️ Find the Annex: Case Studies (Part I) here: bit.ly/IRPGRO24

Very exciting news! The German government just adopted its National Circular Economy Strategy https://lnkd.in/ebxeiK9N. The vision of this strategy is the achievement a material footprint reduction, aiming for 6-8 tonnes per capita by 2050. The strategy directly references IRP’s suggestion of 6-8 tonnes per capita as a reason for their vision (concretely this think piece https://lnkd.in/emVRBZ4r, which references the decoupling report from 2011 https://lnkd.in/eNZU_gre). Dematerialisation accompanying decarbonisation and resource sufficiency accompanying resource efficiency is the only way to effectively address the environmental challenges as well as to lead to the more equitable world.

Earlier this week Planet Ark and Boston Global Group officially launched the Circular Future Fund, Australia's first dedicated circular economy investment fund. The fund was launched by a panel including UN Environment Programme International Resource Panel (IRP) Co-Chair Dr Janez Potocnik, Planet Ark's Paul Klymenko and Rebecca Gilling and Boston Global's Managing Director Corey Cooney. The panel discussed the critical need for investment in circular economy projects to achieve Australia’s net zero circular future and the role the Circular Future Fund can play in reaching that goal. The Circular Future Fund will target multiple high-impact sectors, with a focus on recycling and waste management, product design and renewable resources. With the expected growth of the circular economy in Australia and globally, the CFF will aim to raise capital in 2025 through a staged approach. The ambition is to have up to $1 billion in funds under CFF management in the next five years, all focused on solving our triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and toxic pollution. The CFF is currently open to expressions of interest from both investors and innovators who share the vision of a circular economy and a resilient future for the Australian economy. For more information about the Australian Circular Future Fund, or to explore investment and innovation opportunities, visit https://lnkd.in/gaijEUGs. Thank you to our ACE Hub Partners KPMG Australia for generously hosting the partnership launch.

Global material productivity, which measures the economic efficiency of material use (defined as the ratio of GDP to domestic material consumption), increased at an average annual rate of 0.7% between 1970 and 2020. However, global material productivity has grown at a notably slower rate compared to labour, energy and GHG productivity. After an extended period of decline, material productivity began to see improvements from around 2012, and these gains have since plateaued. With global material demand is still on the rise while material use productivity remains stagnant, a monumental push towards sustainable materials management and enhancements in resource productivity is imperative. This must go hand in hand with responsible consumption, facilitated by strategic infrastructure investments, to guide the global economy towards sustainable and equitable natural resource use that caters to the needs of an expanding population. Read more on this topic and relevant recommendations in the #GRO24 here: bit.ly/IRPGRO24