Published: 24 May 2011
Rethinking the way we use and manage resources
is the subject of this year's Green Week,
the European Commission's annual conference
on environmental policy from 24-27 May,
2011.
Experts from the European
Environment Agency (EEA) will be at Green
Week in Brussels to take part in the debate
on resource efficiency and provide the latest
data in the accompanying exhibition. The
EEA is coordinating a debate on resource
efficiency indicators, co-organised by the
European Commission and Eurostat.
Today Europe, like much
of the industrialised world, is faced with
a complex problem. Our economies depend
on a continuous flow of raw materials which
we no longer can take for granted. In addition,
this rapid consumption of resources damages
the environment and produces waste. So in
an increasingly populated and resource-hungry
world, efficient use of limited resources
is more important than ever.
Resources under pressure
include non-renewable substances, such as
metals, fossil fuels, chemicals and other
minerals. Although other kinds of resources
may be considered 'renewable', including
clean water, air, animals and plant life,
there are limits to the rate at which natural
systems can regenerate these materials.
In this way, resource efficiency cuts across
traditional boundaries between environmental
and economic ideas, exposing constraints
and opportunities.
The EEA recently released
its State and Outlook Report (SOER) 2010,
which showed how accelerating resource use
could lead to environmental degradation,
conflict and economic disaster.
On average, Europeans
use about 16 tonnes of material resources
per year. Most predictions foresee continued
growth in the use of material resources
both in the EU and globally. Europe's demand
has long exceeded its ability to generate
the resources it uses. Today, 20 - 30 %
of resources used are imported, and Europe's
open economy relies heavily on imported
raw materials, especially metals and fossil
fuels. While some progress has been made
in reducing the impact of this high resource
consumption, such efficiency gains are wiped
out by ever-higher demand for goods and
services.
Green Week has established
itself as the leading conference on EU environmental
policy, attracting participants from government,
business, non-governmental organisations,
academia and the media.
The conference will
also provide input to the Roadmap for a
Resource Efficient Europe, a policy proposal
being prepared by the European Commission.
