Successfully Implementing the SDGs through Sustainable Resource Use & Management

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The International Resource Panel (IRP), launched by UNEP in 2007, organised a debate session at the European Development Days (EDDs) in Brussels on 15 June 2016. The session was entitled “Sustainable resource use and management: successfully implementing the SDGs” and touched upon the themes of circular economy and sustainable consumption and production.

The high-level panel consisted of Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of IRP, Anuradha Ramaswami, Professor at the University of Minnesota, Anders Wijkman, Co-President of the Club of Rome and Chair of the Swedish Cross-Party Committee on Environmental Objectives, and Ester van der Voet, Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at the University of Leiden.

The sustainable management and use of natural resources will be critical for the achievement of the SDGs. Current trends are unsustainable, they will affect the future availability and accessibility of natural resources and they could impede the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda.

The 21^st century will be marked by significant population growth and growth in per capita consumption. Consumption will mainly drive future resource use with the majority of consumption growth per capita in developing countries.

The panel agreed that developing countries, such as the EU member states, are overshooting  their ecological footprint and should lead the way in reducing it in order to achieve the SDGs. In order to achieve this, consumption and production systems need to change. An important aspect in this will be the transfer towards a circular economy.

It was agreed that we need to decouple economic growth from natural resource use. However, the strategies to do so differ between developed and developing countries. New research and knowledge transfer are needed to address the gaps in countries’ different capacities.

Cities play a crucial role in reducing countries’ ecological footprint. Anuradha Ramaswami pointed out that urban areas contribute disproportionately to the problem. The development of smart and sustainable cities along with the mapping of resource flows and supply chains, we can find systemic efficiencies and can better manage our resources.

Janez Potočnik stressed that “we simply can’t ignore what is happening. This matters for you and for the generations to come.”

For more information, including audio recording and photos seehere.

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Watch out for the Views and Voices section of Capacity4Development where interviews with Mr Potocnik, Mr Wijkman and Ms Ramaswami will be published.

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Watch here Mr Potocnik's message on 'SDGs: Have your say' at 1.27' with other Senior UN Representatives.