The Next Frontier: Natural Resource Targets Shaping a Competitive Circular Economy within Planetary Boundaries

The report highlights that resource extraction and processing drive over 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress, and approximately half of global climate change effects. It advocates for 'decoupling'—separating economic growth from resource consumption—as a necessary paradigm for long-term prosperity. The document emphasizes that while impact-level targets (e.g., for global warming) exist, they must be translated into actionable resource-use targets for land, water, and materials to guide businesses and governments. It suggests that adopting circular economy principles and resource productivity can boost global GDP by 8% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2060 compared to historical trends.

• Resource extraction and processing are primary drivers of environmental degradation, causing more than 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress, and roughly 50% of the effects of global climate change. Specifically, the extraction and processing of non-metallic minerals and metals alone account for about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Global resource use is projected to more than double from current levels to 190 billion tonnes by 2060 if current production and service systems remain unchanged, which would far exceed planetary boundaries.
• Implementing ambitious resource productivity and climate change policies between 2030 and 2060 could reduce global resource extraction by up to 25%, decrease global greenhouse gas emissions by 90%, and increase global GDP by 8% compared to historical trends.
• The report distinguishes between relative decoupling, where resource use grows slower than economic activity (suggested for developing economies), and absolute decoupling, where resource use declines while the economy grows (the goal for high-income nations).
• Circular production models can significantly reduce costs and material inputs; for instance, US manufacturers of vehicle parts, industrial printers, and heavy-duty equipment save 18-44% in cost per unit through remanufacturing and refurbishment, while saving up to 98% on new material inputs.
• There is a critical gap in current policy where resource use is often a 'side note' in international conventions. The report argues that impact-level targets (like the 1.5°C warming limit) must be translated into practicable resource-use targets for land, water, and materials to be actionable for decision-makers.
• Some regions and organizations are already implementing specific targets: the Netherlands aims to reduce natural resource consumption by 50% by 2030 and achieve a fully circular economy by 2050.

APA

World Economic Forum (2019). The Next Frontier: Natural Resource Targets Shaping a Competitive Circular Economy within Planetary Boundaries. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Next_Frontier_Natural_Resource_Targets_Report.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. The Next Frontier: Natural Resource Targets Shaping a Competitive Circular Economy within Planetary Boundaries. 2019. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Next_Frontier_Natural_Resource_Targets_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=The Next Frontier: Natural Resource Targets Shaping a Competitive Circular Economy within Planetary Boundaries |date=September 2019 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Next_Frontier_Natural_Resource_Targets_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2019next, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{The Next Frontier: Natural Resource Targets Shaping a Competitive Circular Economy within Planetary Boundaries}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Next_Frontier_Natural_Resource_Targets_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }