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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