Metal Stocks in Society – Scientific Synthesis - UNEP

Metal Stocks in Society – Scientific SynthesisInternational Panelfor SustainableResourceManagementGlobal Metal FlowsWorking GroupAs our economies have grown, so has the useof materials and resources. In an increasinglyglobalised economy, the challenge forpolicy-makers is to streamline actions forensuring a more sustainable management ofresources, both renewable and non-renewable.There are existing measures such aspolicies on climate change and biodiversitythat tackle certain aspects of the globalresource issues. However a holistic approachto resources management is needed to betteridentify their interlinkages and gaps in a systemicway.The establishment of UNEP’s InternationalPanel for Sustainable Resource Management,or Resource Panel for short, is afirst step towards addressing this need. TheResource Panel was officially launched inNovember 2007 and aims to provide the scientificimpetus for decoupling economicgrowth and resource use from environmentaldegradation.The objectives of the Resource Panel are toprovide independent, coherent and authoritativescientific assessments of policy relevanceon the sustainable use of natural resourcesand in particular their environmental impactsover the full life cycle as well as to contributeto a better understanding of how to decoupleeconomic growth from environmentaldegradation.Economic development is deeply coupledwith the use of metals. The growing demandfor metals implies a permanent pressureon the resource base. Metals are resourcesthat have a high value and in principle can beeasily reused and recycled. Reuse and recyclingactivities of metals on a global scale cancontribute to closing the loops, turn wasteinto resources, and are expected to therebyreduce environmental impacts, safeguard theavailability of metals, minimize metal prices,and promote meaningful and safe jobs forpoor people in developing countries.The Global Metal Flows Working Group aimsat contributing to the promotion of reuse andrecycling of metals and the establishment ofan international sound material-cycle societyby providing scientific and authoritativeassessment studies on the global flows ofmetals. Expected results include revealingpotentials for increasing the resourceefficiency of metal flows at the national andinternational level.This work builds on and will contributeto other related international initiatives,including the development of the 10-yearframework on sustainable consumptionand production (Marrakech Process), theGreen Economy Initiative and the GlobalEnvironment.48