The Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge

The document examines the unsustainable trajectory of global natural resource use, noting that material demand per capita grew from 7.4 tons in 1970 to 12.2 tons in 2017. It highlights systemic inequalities in resource distribution, where high-income countries have a material footprint thirteen times larger than low-income countries. The brief argues that current governance often favors powerful actors and marginalizes women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. To address this, it recommends adopting circular economy models, strengthening tenure rights, and implementing extended producer responsibility to decouple economic activity from environmental degradation.

• Global material demand has increased significantly over the last five decades, with the average per capita demand rising from 7.4 tons in 1970 to 12.2 tons in 2017, contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
• There is a stark global imbalance in resource consumption; high-income countries have a per capita material footprint of 27 tons, which is thirteen times higher than the 2 tons per capita in low-income countries.
• Current global economic circularity is low, standing at 8.6% in 2020, and annual waste generation is projected to increase by 70% by 2050 if current trends continue.
• Resource extraction and processing are major drivers of environmental crises, accounting for over 90% of water stress and 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Gender-based inequalities persist in land and resource governance; while 164 countries recognize women's rights to own and use land on par with men, only 52 guarantee these rights in both law and practice.
• International investment treaties can exacerbate power imbalances by prioritizing investor interests over local rights, potentially restricting public-interest policies and remedial actions.
• Transitioning to a circular economy and improving resource efficiency could significantly reduce environmental impacts by 2060, including a 25% reduction in resource use and a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

Bansard, J., & Schröder, M. (2021). The Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-natural-resources.pdf

Chicago

Bansard, Jennifer, and Mika Schröder. The Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-natural-resources.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bansard |first1=Jennifer |last2=Schröder |first2=Mika |title=The Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-natural-resources.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bansard2021sustainable, author = {Bansard, Jennifer and Schröder, Mika}, title = {{The Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-natural-resources.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }