The Sustainability Puzzle

A commentary by David Burns, a member of RMI’s National Solutions Council, discussing the gaps in current sustainability efforts and proposing specific mechanisms to accelerate the transition to a resource-efficient economy.

• David Burns argues that despite progress in renewables and energy efficiency, sustainability efforts often stall, and without widespread adoption of lower energy and water intensity benchmarks, a growing global population may lead to increased transfer of natural capital to landfills.
• The author proposes two primary technical solutions to the 'sustainability puzzle': the creation of a global search mechanism for green products and services based on certifications and credentials, and the development of local industrial ecology parks that divert end-of-life materials back into manufacturing to reduce resource intensity.

APA

Burns, D. (2011). The Sustainability Puzzle. RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/thesustainabilitypuzzle/

Chicago

Burns, David. The Sustainability Puzzle. RMI, 2011. https://rmi.org/resources/thesustainabilitypuzzle/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Burns |first1=David |title=The Sustainability Puzzle |publisher=RMI |date=9 November 2011 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/thesustainabilitypuzzle/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{burns2011sustainability, author = {Burns, David}, title = {{The Sustainability Puzzle}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2011}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/thesustainabilitypuzzle/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }