International Resource Panel
Encyclopedia
The International Resource Panel is a scientific panel of experts that aims to help nations use natural resources
sustainably without compromising economic growth and human needs. It provides independent scientific assessments and expert advice on a variety of areas, including:
The Secretariat of the IRP is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) through its office in Paris, France.
, former Chairman of the Bundestag Environment Committee, and Ashok Khosla, President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and founder of the Indian non-profit organisation Development Alternatives. Its Steering Committee includes over 20 governments as well as the EC, OECD, UNEP and civil society organisations including the IUCN, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(WBCSD) and International Council for Science
(ICSU).
and biodiversity
loss have emerged as the world’s most pressing environmental issue in recent decades, both issues are increasingly being seen as symptomatic of a broader problem of overuse of resources and lack of attention to the impacts on the environment they cause. The resources in question include materials (fossil fuels, biomass, construction minerals and metals), water, land and energy.
The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
found that rapid rises in human demands for natural resources have caused substantial and irreversible loss of biodiversity Our current rate of consumption of resources such as fossil fuels, metals, water
and timber, is unsustainable and inequitable. WWF
has pointed out that if we continue to consume resources at current levels, by 2050 we will need two planet’s worth of natural materials to support the human race.
The concept of sustainable use of resources was placed on the global governance agenda in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio d’Janiero, Brazil. By 2005, several leading international environmental organisations were undertaking disparate work related to natural resources. The OECD was investigating sustainable materials management, the European Commission
put forward a new Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources used in Europe and UNEP was conducting detailed studies into the way we use resources and their impacts.
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
), biodiversity (Convention on Biological Diversity
) and Ozone (Montreal Protocol
). The other was that as raw materials are sourced, processed, manufactured into products, traded and consumed in locations around the world, any scientific assessments would need to be global in scope. Different regions also tended to treat the topic differently, depending on the volume of resources they used, methods they used to process resources and whether they had access to domestic resources or depended on imports.
The IRP was founded in 2007 as a way to address this void and support diverse efforts being made to shift the world towards sustainable consumption and production. By mid-2011, the IRP had released in-depth assessments on decoupling
(the concept of separating economic growth from environmental degradation), biofuels, metal
stocks, plus priority products and materials.
The IRP will publish a further ten assessments over the next 18 months. These will cover topics such as greenhouse gas
mitigation technologies, efficiency of water use, trade, plus land and soils.
By providing the best available scientific information on using resources efficiently, the IRP aims to help the world shift to a ‘green economy
’, where patterns of consumption and production are sustainable, all citizens have equitable access to resources and the enduring quality of the global commons
is assured.
Recycling Rates of Metals report
Priority Products and Materials report
Metal Stocks in Society report
Assessing Biofuels report
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
sustainably without compromising economic growth and human needs. It provides independent scientific assessments and expert advice on a variety of areas, including:
- the volume of selected raw materialRaw materialA raw material or feedstock is the basic material from which a product is manufactured or made, frequently used with an extended meaning. For example, the term is used to denote material that came from nature and is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. Latex, iron ore, logs, and crude...
reserves and how efficiently these resources are being used - the lifecycle-long environmental impacts of products and services created and consumed around the globe
- options to meet human and economic needs with fewer or cleaner resources.
The Secretariat of the IRP is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
(UNEP) through its office in Paris, France.
Structure of the IRP
Supported by a small Secretariat, the International Resource Panel comprises 30 expert members drawn from a wide range of academic institutions and scientific organisations (see table below). It is co-chaired by Ernst Ulrich von WeizsäckerErnst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker is a German scientist and politician.He is son of the physicist Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker and nephew of the former German President Richard von Weizsäcker....
, former Chairman of the Bundestag Environment Committee, and Ashok Khosla, President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and founder of the Indian non-profit organisation Development Alternatives. Its Steering Committee includes over 20 governments as well as the EC, OECD, UNEP and civil society organisations including the IUCN, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 international companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development....
(WBCSD) and International Council for Science
International Council for Science
The International Council for Science , formerly the International Council of Scientific Unions, was founded in 1931 as an international non-governmental organization devoted to international co-operation in the advancement of science...
(ICSU).
History of the IRP
While climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
loss have emerged as the world’s most pressing environmental issue in recent decades, both issues are increasingly being seen as symptomatic of a broader problem of overuse of resources and lack of attention to the impacts on the environment they cause. The resources in question include materials (fossil fuels, biomass, construction minerals and metals), water, land and energy.
The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, released in 2005, is an international synthesis by over 1000 of the world's leading biological scientists that analyses the state of the Earth’s ecosystems and provides summaries and guidelines for decision-makers...
found that rapid rises in human demands for natural resources have caused substantial and irreversible loss of biodiversity Our current rate of consumption of resources such as fossil fuels, metals, water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
and timber, is unsustainable and inequitable. WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
has pointed out that if we continue to consume resources at current levels, by 2050 we will need two planet’s worth of natural materials to support the human race.
The concept of sustainable use of resources was placed on the global governance agenda in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio d’Janiero, Brazil. By 2005, several leading international environmental organisations were undertaking disparate work related to natural resources. The OECD was investigating sustainable materials management, the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
put forward a new Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources used in Europe and UNEP was conducting detailed studies into the way we use resources and their impacts.
A need for science
As various authorities began shaping policies to encourage sustainable consumption and production, two issues emerged. One was that the field was lacking the kind of rigorous scientific assessments that underpinned research into other environmental disciplines, such as climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body which provides comprehensive assessments of current scientific, technical and socio-economic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity, its potential environmental and...
), biodiversity (Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
) and Ozone (Montreal Protocol
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...
). The other was that as raw materials are sourced, processed, manufactured into products, traded and consumed in locations around the world, any scientific assessments would need to be global in scope. Different regions also tended to treat the topic differently, depending on the volume of resources they used, methods they used to process resources and whether they had access to domestic resources or depended on imports.
The IRP was founded in 2007 as a way to address this void and support diverse efforts being made to shift the world towards sustainable consumption and production. By mid-2011, the IRP had released in-depth assessments on decoupling
Decoupling
The term "decoupling" is used in many different contexts.-Economic growth without environmental damage:In economic and environmental fields, decoupling is becoming increasingly used in the context of economic production and environmental quality. When used in this way, it refers to the ability of...
(the concept of separating economic growth from environmental degradation), biofuels, metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
stocks, plus priority products and materials.
The IRP will publish a further ten assessments over the next 18 months. These will cover topics such as greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
mitigation technologies, efficiency of water use, trade, plus land and soils.
By providing the best available scientific information on using resources efficiently, the IRP aims to help the world shift to a ‘green economy
Green economy
A green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities - United Nations Environment Programme...
’, where patterns of consumption and production are sustainable, all citizens have equitable access to resources and the enduring quality of the global commons
Global commons
Global Commons: the earth's unowned natural resources, such as the oceans, the atmosphere, and space. Global commons is that which no one person or state may own or control and which is central to life. A Global Common contains an infinite potential with regard to the understanding and advancement...
is assured.
Reports launched
Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth reportDecoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth report
The report Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth is one of a series of reports researched and published by the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme...
Recycling Rates of Metals report
Recycling Rates of Metals report
Recycling Rates of Metals: A Status Report was the 2nd of six scientific assessments on global metals to be published by the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme...
Priority Products and Materials report
Priority Products and Materials report
The report Priority Products and Materials: Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production is one of a series of scientific assessments published by the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme...
Metal Stocks in Society report
Metal Stocks in Society report
The report Metal Stocks in Society: Scientific Synthesis was the first of six scientific assessments on global metals to be published by the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme...
Assessing Biofuels report
Assessing Biofuels report
The report Towards Sustainable Production and use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels is one of several scientific assessments to be published by the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme...
Panel members
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker is a German scientist and politician.He is son of the physicist Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker and nephew of the former German President Richard von Weizsäcker.... |
International Resource Panel Co-Chair, Former Chairman of the Bundestag Environment Committee |
| Ashok Khosla | International Resource Panel Co-Chair, President, IUCN, and Founder, Development Alternatives, India |
| Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel | Former Assistant Executive Director (2001–2003), United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its... (UNEP) and Director (1987–2003), UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics |
| Stefan Bringezu | Director, Material Flows & Resource Management, Wuppertal Institute Wuppertal Institute The Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy is a German research institution that explores and develops models, strategies and instruments to support sustainable development at local, national and international level. Sustainability research at the Wuppertal Institute focuses on... , Germany |
| Partha Dasgupta | Professor, Cambridge University, UK |
| Eric Eboh | Executive Director, African Institute for Applied Economics, Nigeria |
| Marina Fischer-Kowalski | Director, Institute of Social Ecology, Faculty for Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Klagenfurt University of Klagenfurt The University of Klagenfurt was founded in 1960 in Klagenfurt, Austria. It began as a College of Educational Studies . Since October 2004 the official German name is Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt in order to stress the intercultural connections between the Alpine regions and the Adriatic Sea... , Austria |
| Thomas Graedel | Professor, Industrial Ecology, Yale University Yale University Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States... , USA |
| Yvan Hardy | Chief Scientist (2003–2007), Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada The Department of Natural Resources , operating under the FIP applied title Natural Resources Canada , is the ministry of the government of Canada responsible for natural resources, energy, minerals and metals, forests, earth sciences, mapping and remote sensing... |
| Maarten Hajer | Director, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency is a Dutch research institute that advises the Dutch government on environmental policy and regional planning issues. The research fields include sustainable development, energy and climate change, biodiversity, transport, land use, and air quality... ; Professor of Public Policy, University of Amsterdam |
| Edgar Hertwich | Professor, Energy and Environmental Systems Analysis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Science and Technology The Norwegian University of Science and Technology , commonly known as NTNU, is located in Trondheim. NTNU is the second largest of the eight universities in Norway, and, as its name suggests, has the main national responsibility for higher education in engineering and technology... |
| Lea Kauppi | Director General, Finnish Environment Institute Finnish Environment Institute The Finnish Environment Institute is a research institute and government agency under the Ministry of the Environment, located in Helsinki, Finland. It is both a research institute, and a centre for environmental expertise. SYKE's research focuses on changes in the environment, and seeks ways to... , Finland |
| Jacqueline McGlade | Executive Director, European Environment Agency European Environment Agency European Environment Agency is an agency of the European Union. Its task is to provide sound, independent information on the environment. It is a major information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public... (EEA) |
| Jeffrey McNeely | Chief Scientist, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) |
| Yuichi Moriguchi | Professor, Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan |
| Khawar Mumtaz | Director, Shirkat Ghah, Women Resource Centre, Pakistan |
| Mohan Munasinghe | Director General, Sustainable Consumption Institute, University of Manchester, UK |
| Richard Norgaard | Professor, University of California University of California The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University... , Berkeley, USA |
| Walter Pengue | Professor, Periurban Studies Institute (ICO) of the Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Yong Ren | Deputy Director-General, Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy, Ministry for Environmental Protection, China |
| Maria Rodrigues | President, Brazilian Society for Ecological Economics, Brazil |
| Anna Bella Siriban-Manalang | Director, Centre for Lean Systems, De La Salle University De La Salle University De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director... , The Philippines |
| Sangwon Suh | Assistant Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Mark Swilling | Professor, Sustainable Development Planning and Management, University of Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa |
| Kevin Urama | Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network, Kenya |
Steering Committee members
| Government | Department |
|---|---|
| Canada | Natural Resources Canada |
| Chile | Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente |
| China | The Ministry of Environmental Protection |
| Denmark | Danish Ministry of the Environment |
| Egypt | Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs |
| Finland | Ministry of the Environment |
| France | Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Regional planning |
| Germany | Federal Ministry for the Environment |
| Hungary | Ministry of Environment and Water |
| India | Ministry of Environment and Forests |
| Indonesia | Ministry of Environment |
| Italy | Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea |
| Japan | Ministry of Environment |
| Kazakhstan | Ministry of Environmental Protection |
| Mexico | Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources |
| Netherlands | Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment |
| Norway | Ministry of the Environment |
| Russian Federation | Ministry of Natural Resources |
| South Africa | Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism |
| Switzerland | Federal Office for the Environment |
| Tanzania | Ministry of Water and Irrigation |
| USA | State Department |
| Intergovernmental Organisation | Department (if applicable) |
| European Commission | Environment Directorate-General |
| Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade... (OECD) |
|
| UNEP | |
| Civil Society Organisation | Department (if applicable) |
| International Council for Science International Council for Science The International Council for Science , formerly the International Council of Scientific Unions, was founded in 1931 as an international non-governmental organization devoted to international co-operation in the advancement of science... (ICSU) |
|
| International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) | |
| World Business Council for Sustainable Development World Business Council for Sustainable Development The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 international companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development.... (WBCSD) |
External links
- www.unep.org/resourcepanel/
- www.unep.org
- Decoupling natural resource use and environmental impacts from economic growth (2011)
- Recycling rates of metals: A status report (2011)
- Assessing the environmental impacts of consumption and production: Priority products and materials (2010)
- Metal stocks in society: Scientific synthesis (2010)
- Towards sustainable production and use of resources: Assessing biofuels (2009)