The growth of both the world economy and the global population places significant pressure on the planet's natural and mineral resources, such as water, wood, iron, etc. These resources are both essential and finite. Supplying and using them efficiently is a major challenge in order to ensure stable and competitive economic development, while reducing damaging impacts on the environment.
For example, our industry mainly relies on imported raw materials. Global competition to exploit and obtain certain resources leads to shortages, price instability and degradation of ecosystems. In the industrial sector, resource efficiency means recycling, making products and components smaller, replacing critical resources with more efficient ones, extending the useful lives of products, re-using products and industrial ecology.
For more information:
- FPS Environment, Vers une utilisation efficace et durable des ressources naturelles (Towards efficient and sustainable use of natural resources)
- European Commission, "The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe" (2011)
- European Environment Agency, "More from less - material resource efficiency in Europe" (2016)