In response to the urgent need for a more sustainable approach to resource use, the Club of Rome and the Hot or Cool Institute have launched a Materials and Consumption Taskforce. The taskforce aims to highlight the critical importance of materials and consumption in the context of the global economic system.
With the world facing growing pressures from resource scarcity, environmental degradation, accelerating climate change and geopolitical tensions, the taskforce recognises that materials and consumption lie at the heart of many interconnected crises. From the escalating demand for critical minerals to the impact of supply chains on climate change and social inequalities, addressing these issues is essential to building a sustainable and resilient future.
Aims of the taskforce:
- Shifting the narrative: Moving beyond surface-level discussions to provide a nuanced understanding of the broader economic, environmental, and social impacts of material use.
- Setting science-based targets: Developing measurable, science-based material use targets to guide policy design and drive meaningful change.
- Strengthening governance: Advancing robust policy frameworks for sustainable material use, ensuring that policies are not only ambitious but also actionable. The objective will be – at last – to integrate the use of natural resources into the economic model guiding us.
- Mobilising collaboration: Establishing a collaborative engagement and communications framework to mobilise partners and amplify impact.
The taskforce draws on the expertise of members of the Club of Rome and Hot or Cool Institute, in collaboration with Earth4All Initiative, members of the International Resource Panel, Wuppertal Institute, and other organisations. The taskforce is co-chaired by Lewis Akenji, Executive Director of Hot of Cool Institute and Anders Wijkman, Honorary President of The Club of Rome.
“The urgent need to rethink how we use and manage materials cannot be overstated. At the core of the challenges we face is conventional economics – which, to put it bluntly, is nature blind. By convening experts and developing science-based targets, this taskforce will help create pathways to reduce our resource footprint while ensuring social equity and economic resilience. It’s about transforming our approach to consumption and production”, commented Anders Wijkman.
Lewis Akenji added: “The security of our collective wellbeing is at stake if we continue with this global economic system that is extractive by design; the way we consume materials, beyond the regenerative capacity of the planet, lies at the core of that problem. This taskforce aims to reframe the broader socio-technical context that drives overconsumption, develop actionable targets for resource use, and create a roadmap for achieving the SDGs within ecological limits. We need to address these challenges head-on if we want to achieve lasting environmental and social progress.”
Taskforce members have now embarked on producing guidelines that will serve as a critical resource for policymakers, businesses, and civil society, providing an in-depth analysis of materials and consumption and offering practical solutions for a more resource-secure future. It will draw on insights from recent reports like Global Resources Outlook 2024, 1.5-Degree Lifestyles report, and From Data to Decisions: Material Footprints in European Policy Making weaving together a roadmap for sustainable resource use that addresses economic, environmental, and social dimensions.
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This news item is also available through The Club of Rome.
