A fair and global approach to reducing resource use

Start/End date
Event type
Country
EU
City
EU
Key Area

Environmental impacts – including climate change and pollution – cannot be effectively mitigated by focusing on emission reduction alone. The accelerated depletion of natural resources is at the heart of the climate, biodiversity and pollution challenges facing the world today. The level of resource use determines the magnitude of final waste and emissions released into the environment, making resource management and efficiency key strategies for environmental protection.

Reducing consumption remains one of the “elephants in the room” of sustainability thinking today. The latest research from academics, policymakers and campaigners looking closely at global resource flows could help determine what could make resource reduction politically feasible and the suitable legal approach to make it a reality.

The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform is organising this #EuCircularTalks event, on 25 November at 14:00 - 15:30 CET, as part of the official WCEF side events, to explore:

  • Ways to govern the use of global resources in a sustainable and just manner
  • Ways to reduce our total resource use while safeguarding human well-being and creating a just transition for all.

Registration is now open.

Draft programme

  • Welcome and introduction
    Diego Francesco Marin, EEB
     
  • Introductory remarks
    Peter Schmidt, EESC member
     
  • "An international agreement on natural resource management with specific focus on the implications for different groups of countries" (paper)
    Colette van der Ven, TULIP Consulting
     
  • Rational use of resources
    Monika Dittrich, Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg (IFEU)
     
  • The challenges and possibilities of urban mining perspectives from Brazil
    Lucia Helena Xavier, CETEM
     
  • Reflections on policies for resource use reduction
    Giovanni Santambrogio, DG ENV - European Commission
     
  • Open discussion
     
  • Conclusions and closing
    Sofie Bouteligier, OVAM