Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth – Factsheet
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Date
20112011
Author
United Nations Environment Programme
International Resource Panel
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RT Generic T1 Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth – Factsheet A1 United Nations Environment Programme, International Resource Panel YR 2011 , 2011 LK https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/31439 PB AB TY - GEN T1 - Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth – Factsheet AU - United Nations Environment Programme, International Resource Panel Y1 - 2011, 2011 UR - https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/31439 PB - AB - @misc{20.500.11822_31439 author = {United Nations Environment Programme, International Resource Panel}, title = {Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth – Factsheet}, year = {2011 , 2011}, abstract = {}, url = {https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/31439} } @misc{20.500.11822_31439 author = {United Nations Environment Programme, International Resource Panel}, title = {Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth – Factsheet}, year = {2011 , 2011}, abstract = {}, url = {https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/31439} } TY - GEN T1 - Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth – Factsheet AU - United Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment Programme, International Resource Panel UR - https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/31439 PB - AB -Item Statistics
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The remarkable economic and population growth of the 20th century was closely coupled to substantial increases in the extraction and consumption of natural resources, leading to increasingly-damaging negative environmental impact. However, economic growth globally was faster than growth of the rate of consumption of natural resources, and some negative environmental impacts have been reduced. Globally, about 25% less material input was required in 2002 compared to 1980 to produce one unit of real GDP. It appears that some
‘dematerialization’ of the world economy has occurred spontaneously. Accelerating this process of decoupling economic activity from consumption and environmental impacts is fundamental to future human well-being. Future policies will require a better understanding of the process, so the International Resource Panel (IRP) has undertaken to define the key issues and challenges, drawing on peer-reviewed research and experience at multiple levels. A major conclusion from its first report on this topic is that decoupling is feasible, and indeed is already happening, but further sustainability-oriented innovations are urgently required to enable decoupling to support sustainable development more effectively. More transformative change is required to meet the size of the challenge.
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