Sustainable Development and Resource Productivity

Abstract

The fourth Factor X publication from the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA), Sustainable Development and Resource Productivity: The Nexus Approaches explores the interdependencies of sustainable development paths and associated resource requirements, describing and analysing the necessities for a more resource efficient world.The use of and competition for increasingly scarce resources are growing worldwide with current production and consumption patterns of industrialised economies soon to reach the point where the ecosphere will be overtaxed far beyond its limits. Against this background, this volume examines the important initiatives to monitor resource use at the international, EU and national level. The current trends and challenges related to sustainable resource use are discussed, including international challenges for a resource efficient world, megatrends, justice and equitable access to resources. In the second part of the book, contributions examine implementation strategies. They assess the concept known as circular economy and discuss the theory of growth and the role of the financial and education systems. The final section places special emphasis on practical examples. Overall, the book presents concrete ways and examples of achieving more sustainability in practice.Discussing solutions for a more sustainable use of natural resources, this book is essential reading for scholars and students of natural resources and sustainable development and decision-makers and experts from the fields of policy development, industry and civil society.

Nickel export ban policy in Indonesia - a path to sustainable economic development?

“…As a result, the price of nickel can occasionally fluctuate widely. Public investments and international policy are needed to shift common value settings and enable more sustainable consumer decisions (Lehmann, 2020).…”

“…Increasing both the number and quality of private vehicles regardless of the shifting to electric vehicles will not solve environmental problems, namely efforts to reduce GHG emissions it tends to concentrate on the production of private vehicles rather than public vehicles, raising concerns that this will only serve to benefit certain parties rather than the welfare of the community. Generally, renewable energy systems can reduce the use of fossil fuels, but the extraction and distribution of raw materials like rare earth metals essential cost energy, and if other controls in the system are not prompted concurrently, negative impact happen in a short time (Lehmann, 2020).…”

“…It is stated in the UUD 1945 article 33 paragraph 3 that the earth and water and all their contents must be utilized as much as possible for the prosperity of the Indonesian people, because natural resources are developed into economic capital through techno-economic transformation and subsequently become social capital for society as a whole facing a better future life based on a global welfare, security and environment approach. In any case, policy approaches to minimise losses of materials and increase recycling capacities are necessary amendments (Lehmann, 2020).…”

Material recycling in a circular economy—A systems view

“…Decoupling would require the resource intensity to be almost halved in 10 years and reduced to a third in 20 years just to break even and stay constant; absolute decoupling would require an even higher reduction in intensity. There have been attempts at such calculations of Factor X; a resource intensity reduction of 10 (90% reduction) has been suggested by 2050 (Lehmann, 2021). It must also be emphasized that history has often shown efficiency gains to be overtaken by overall use—the so‐called Jevon's paradox or rebound effect (Dahmus, 2014; Polimeni et al, 2015).…”