{"id":11773,"date":"2022-03-12T17:55:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T17:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/spotlight-fady-jameel\/no-time-for-waste-why-we-need-eco-efficiency\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T23:04:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T23:04:16","slug":"no-time-for-waste-why-we-need-eco-efficiency","status":"publish","type":"spotlight","link":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/spotlight-by-fady-jameel\/no-time-for-waste-why-we-need-eco-efficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"No time for waste: why we need eco-efficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Does reducing our impact on the planet mean reducing our production of essential materials?  Far from it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evidence is clear:  using our precious resources more efficiently is the route to more<\/em> prosperity – sustainable prosperity \u2013 not less.  There’s a long way to go.  But we have all the tools to make it happen, and we’re already making progress.  And that means win, win for people and planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re consuming resources faster than the earth can replenish them<\/h2>\n\n\n
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July 29, 2021 was \u201cEarth Overshoot Day<\/a>“.  Halfway through the year, we’d already consumed as many natural resources as the Earth could generate in an entire year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the very definition of unsustainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we’ve been doing it year after year.  Fewer resources mean increased demand.  And increased demand leads to pressure on supply chains, pressure on resources, poor working conditions, migration, conflict \u2013 and environmental degradation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, massive levels of production have also brought life-changing gains.  Since 1990, more than 1.2 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty, and child mortality has dropped by more than half.[1]<\/sup><\/a>  That’s an incredible achievement.  But what happens as living standards continue to increase around the world? People in the developed world already consume up to eight times as many resources as agricultural communities.[2]<\/sup><\/a>  We can\u2019t sustain the status quo as it is.  Does that mean we should stop developing?  Absolutely not.  But we absolutely do need to develop smarter<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How big is the problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If we’re going to achieve the 1.5\u00b0C Paris Agreement global warming target, we need to slash emissions.  And fast.  Renewable energy is the obvious one, but here I’m going to focus on another of the biggest problems \u2013 our ever-rising production of materials and products.<\/p>\n\n\n

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According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP<\/a>), emissions from materials production more than doubled between 1995 and 2015\u2014going from 5 gigatons (Gt) of CO2<\/sub>-equivalent to 11.5 Gt.  Their share of global emissions also increased from 15% to 23%.  Iron and steel account for 32%, with cement, lime, and plaster at 25%, as well as plastics and rubber (13%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction and manufactured goods are each responsible for about 40% of greenhouse gas emissions.[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Using less and getting more<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The good news is we can reverse this trend\u2014provided we work together.  From developing effective policies to rethinking how we design, source, make, and market products to changing how we consume them.  The ultimate goal is to achieve a cyclical economy where products last longer and waste is minimized or repurposed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s called eco-efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal is to decouple resource consumption from prosperity\u2014to create more opportunities for people and fewer drawbacks for the planet.  According to The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD<\/a>), the most critical features of eco-efficient businesses are[4]<\/sup><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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