Making better use of raw materials worldwide and protecting the climate

Context

The consumption of raw materials is increasing drastically worldwide. Consequences related to this include increased energy use, rising greenhouse gas emissions and harmful interference with ecosystems.

Emerging economies account for a growing percentage of overall resource consumption. This is due in part to the fact that they are developing rapidly and also because companies are relocating their production facilities there. Although resource efficiency is attractive from an economic standpoint, it has been used too little up to now.

Under the German presidency of the G20 (a group of the 20 most important industrialised and emerging economies), a Resource Efficiency Dialogue was launched in 2017 to develop the topic on an international scale with emerging economies.

Objective

Emerging economies use their resources more efficiently, thereby improving climate protection.

Approach

The project promotes the topics of resource efficiency, the circular economy and climate protection in international dialogue and especially among the G20. It brings together actors from politics, the private sector and academia in dialogue events.

In Argentina, Mexico and Indonesia, the project promotes dialogue on how resource efficiency can be measured in relation to climate protection. The project is also developing an online course for small and medium-sized enterprises with the support of the German Centre for Resource Efficiency (VDI-ZRE).

In Argentina, companies and the relevant ministries work together extensively to exchange views on how politics can promote resource and climate protection in the manufacturing industry.

In the Mexican state of Guanajuato, the project is working to incorporate resource efficiency into public programmes and policies.

The project supports the Ministry of Environment in Indonesia in developing a national programme to identify the material consumption of a product and its effect on global warming. It also develops training courses relating to life-cycle analyses for representatives of the ministry and companies. These analyses indicate the resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of products and services.

Last update: July 2023