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Implementing the material footprint to measure progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 12

Author

Listed:
  • Manfred Lenzen

    (The University of Sydney)

  • Arne Geschke

    (The University of Sydney)

  • James West

    (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO))

  • Jacob Fry

    (The University of Sydney)

  • Arunima Malik

    (The University of Sydney
    The University of Sydney)

  • Stefan Giljum

    (Vienna University of Economics and Business)

  • Llorenç Milà i Canals

    (United Nations Environment Programme)

  • Pablo Piñero

    (Vienna University of Economics and Business
    Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)

  • Stephan Lutter

    (Vienna University of Economics and Business)

  • Thomas Wiedmann

    (University of New South Wales (UNSW))

  • Mengyu Li

    (The University of Sydney)

  • Maartje Sevenster

    (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO))

  • Janez Potočnik

    (United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), International Resource Panel)

  • Izabella Teixeira

    (United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), International Resource Panel)

  • Merlyn Voore

    (United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), International Resource Panel)

  • Keisuke Nansai

    (Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies)

  • Heinz Schandl

    (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO))

Abstract

Sustainable development depends on decoupling economic growth from resource use. The material footprint indicator accounts for environmental pressure related to a country’s final demand. It measures material use across global supply-chain networks linking production and consumption. For this reason, it has been used as an indicator for two Sustainable Development Goals: 8.4 ‘resource efficiency improvements’ and 12.2 ‘sustainable management of natural resources’. Currently, no reporting facility exists that provides global, detailed and timely information on countries’ material footprints. We present a new collaborative research platform, based on multiregional input–output analysis, that enables countries to regularly produce, update and report detailed global material footprint accounts and monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 8.4 and 12.2. We show that the global material footprint has quadrupled since 1970, driven mainly by emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region, but with an indication of plateauing since 2014. Capital investments increasingly dominate over household consumption as the main driver. At current trends, absolute decoupling is unlikely to occur over the next few decades. The new collaborative research platform allows to elevate the material footprint to Tier I status in the SDG indicator framework and paves the way to broaden application of the platform to other environmental footprint indicators.

Suggested Citation

  • Manfred Lenzen & Arne Geschke & James West & Jacob Fry & Arunima Malik & Stefan Giljum & Llorenç Milà i Canals & Pablo Piñero & Stephan Lutter & Thomas Wiedmann & Mengyu Li & Maartje Sevenster & Janez, 2022. "Implementing the material footprint to measure progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 12," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(2), pages 157-166, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:5:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1038_s41893-021-00811-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-021-00811-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Jiamin Liu & Xiaoyu Ma & Bin Zhao & Qi Cui & Sisi Zhang & Jiaoning Zhang, 2023. "Mandatory Environmental Regulation, Enterprise Labor Demand and Green Innovation Transformation: A Quasi-Experiment from China’s New Environmental Protection Law," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-31, July.
    2. Vivienne Reiner & Navoda Liyana Pathirana & Ya-Yen Sun & Manfred Lenzen & Arunima Malik, 2024. "Wish You Were Here? The Economic Impact of the Tourism Shutdown from Australia’s 2019-20 ‘Black Summer’ Bushfires," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 107-127, March.
    3. Shuai Zhang & Dajian Zhu & Lilian Li, 2023. "Urbanization, Human Inequality, and Material Consumption," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, March.
    4. Chuandi Fang & Jinhua Cheng & Zhe You & Jiahao Chen & Jing Peng, 2023. "A Detailed Examination of China’s Clean Energy Mineral Consumption: Footprints, Trends, and Drivers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-26, November.
    5. Chenglong Wang & Chenyang Shuai & Xi Chen & Jingran Sun & Bu Zhao, 2025. "Linking local and global: Assessing water scarcity risk through nested trade networks," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Christian Schoder & Remzi Baris Tercioglu, 2024. "A climate-fiscal policy mix to achieve Türkiye’s net-zero ambition under feasibility constraints," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 21(2), pages 331-359, April.
    7. Carmen Elena Stoenoiu & Lorentz Jäntschi, 2024. "Circular Economy Similarities in a Group of Eastern European Countries: Orienting towards Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-21, February.
    8. Juan Antonio Duro & Alejandro Perez‐Laborda & Markus Löw & Sarah Matej & Barbara Plank & Fridolin Krausmann & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Helmut Haberl, 2024. "Spatial patterns of built structures co‐determine nations’ level of resource demand," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(2), pages 289-302, April.
    9. Julien CALAS & Antoine GODIN & Paul Hadji-Lazaro & Pamela SEKESE & Andrew SKOWNO, 2023. "Socioeconomic and spatially-explicit assessment of Nature-related risks: the case of South Africa," Working Paper 199e7bd0-7dfd-4a54-bc1d-9, Agence française de développement.
    10. Clemens Mostert & Stefan Bringezu, 2022. "Biotic Part of the Product Material Footprint: Comparison of Indicators Regarding Their Interpretation and Applicability," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, June.
    11. Geng, Yini & Fan, Aijun, 2023. "How trade diversification affects resources sustainability in China: Exploring the role of institutional quality and environmental policies uncertainty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    12. Danyang Zhang & Kuishuang Feng & Peng Zhou & Hui Wang, 2024. "Determinants of the growing material footprints along the Belt and Road," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(4), pages 840-852, August.
    13. Sun, Yanlei & Wang, Siyao & Xing, Zhanlei, 2023. "Do international trade diversification, intellectual capital, and renewable energy transition ensure effective natural resources management in BRICST region," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    14. Alessio Miatto & Nargessadat Emami & Kylie Goodwin & James West & Mohammad Sadegh Taskhiri & Thomas Wiedmann & Heinz Schandl, 2024. "Australia's circular economy metrics and indicators," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(2), pages 216-231, April.
    15. Jürgen Essletzbichler & Manuel Scholz-Wäckerle & Lena Gerdes & Hans-Peter Wieland & Christian Dorninger, 2023. "Geographical evolutionary political economy: linking local evolution with uneven and combined development," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(3), pages 543-560.
    16. Zhu, Qingyuan & Xu, Chengzhen & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2024. "Trade-induced carbon-economic inequality within China: Measurement, sources, and determinants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    17. Ma, Yubo & Fan, Yufeng & Razzaq, Asif, 2023. "Influence of technical efficiency and globalization on sustainable resources management: Evidence from South Asian countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    18. Selin Karlilar & Ugur Korkut Pata, 2025. "Determinants of material footprint in OECD countries: The role of green innovation and environmental taxes," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(1), pages 100-115, February.
    19. Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu & Michael Danquah & Edgar Towa, 2022. "Unravelling Africa's raw material footprints and their drivers," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-115, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Luckeneder, Sebastian & Giljum, Stefan & Maus, Victor & Sonter, Laura J. & Lenzen, Manfred, 2024. "EU consumption's hidden link to global deforestation caused by mining," Ecological Economic Papers 48/2024, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    21. Ozturk, Ilhan & Razzaq, Asif & Sharif, Arshian & Yu, Zhengsen, 2023. "Investigating the impact of environmental governance, green innovation, and renewable energy on trade-adjusted material footprint in G20 countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    22. Li, Tianqun & Chen, Yuhan & Zhou, Liangxiao, 2023. "Impact of trade, technology, and tourism on resources depletion across Belt and Road Node countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    23. Schoder,Christian & Tercioglu,Remzi Baris, 2023. "A Climate-Fiscal Policy Mix to Achieve Türkiye’s Net-Zero Ambition under Feasibility Constraints," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10551, The World Bank.
    24. Li, Xinyi & Zhang, Chao & Yang, Xue & Xia, Ziqian & Cao, Zhi & Wang, Peng & Wang, Heming & Wang, Tao & Liu, Gang & Chen, Wei-Qiang, 2025. "Hybrid multi-stage steel footprinting unveils a more interdependent material foundation of the global economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    25. Di Ye & Yufei Zhang & Qilun Li & Xue Zhang & Chunli Chu & Meiting Ju, 2022. "Assessing the Spatiotemporal Development of Ecological Civilization for China’s Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-20, July.

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