In coming years, societies will have to confront a huge challenge. While global population and economic production continue to grow, the resources supporting this upward spiral are finite. The United Nations (UN) recently noted that resource use will triple by 2050 if humans continue to use resources with the same degree of efficiency as we do currently.
The European Commission’s recent Resource Efficiency Roadmap states that while “demand for food, feed and fibre may increase by 70 % by 2050, 60 % of the world’s major ecosystems that help produce these resources have already been degraded or are used unsustainably.” Such unchecked resource use will increase environmental destruction and inequality; and ultimately lead to the disappearance of the natural and mineral resources which support modern societies. Read More
