In a new report, BIO Intelligence Service, the Institute of Social Ecology and SERI present a basket of resource use indicators and corresponding targets for the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative on Resource Efficiency. The researchers suggest a set of consumption and production based indicators that covers both, the environmental pressures and impacts from material, energy, water and land use. The project was funded by the DG Environment of the European Commission. The report is expected to be published soon on the EC website.

For further information on materials embodied in international trade, we recommend you following publications:

Kirsten S. Wiebe, Martin Bruckner, Stefan Giljum & Christian Lutz (2012): Calculating energy-related CO2 emissions embodied in international trade using a global input-output model. Economic Systems Research. Download

Martin Bruckner, Stefan Giljum, Christian Lutz & Kirsten S. Wiebe (2012): Materials embodied in international trade – Global material extraction and consumption between 1995 and 2005. Global Environmental Change.

Just recently a new paper on the state of the art of Material Flow Accounting (MFA) was published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. The paper encompasses the expertise of the main scientists working in the field of MFA and sets a standard regarding methodology, indicators and quality of data sources. As such, the paper is a profound basis for any research in the area. Access the paper here.

The second annual report produced by the Eco-Innovation Observatory has recently been published. The report “Closing the eco-innovation gap” looks particularly at evidence of the economic benefits from eco-innovations and argues that eco-innovation in European companies is an opportunity for strategic investment rather than a cost factor.

Changes introduced by companies have the potential to become one of the main drivers of the systemic change needed to meet the EU’s vision of a sustainable economy.
This report addresses the following questions:
- What is the scope for cost savings through eco-innovations targeted at higher resource efficiency in European companies?
- Where are the current and future opportunities for generating profits through eco-innovation?
- How are policies supporting eco-innovation evolving across the EU and what types of policy measures are used to support eco-innovation?

The full EIO report can be downloaded here.

Today, 22 March, the World celebrates the International World Water Day which is held annually as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Each year, the World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater – this year it is “Water and Food Security”.

See also our recent news about the World Water Forum in Marseille.

SERI uses the opportunity of the annual World Water Day to present a new project called “Grüne Nasen” (“green noses”) where children and teenagers actively work with the concept of the ecological rucksack and act as “ambassadors” of a sustainable lifestyle, using various new media tools. With the support of professional journalists and media professionals, they investigate various issues of sustainability. Today the project will be presented in various Austrian media. Our first main focus is “water”, and the trailer video on our brand new website makes you want to know more!

SERI´s research group “Sustainable Resource Use” investigates the use of natural resources on which our societies are built. Some of the central concerns in this field include differences in extraction, consumption, trade and efficiency across different countries and world regions.

The basis of much of our work in this field is the website www.materialflows.net, an online portal for material flow data providing easy access to global data on resource extraction for more than 200 countries and the time period of 1980 to 2008, aggregated into 12 categories of material flows. The website is based on the first comprehensive and worldwide database on global resource extraction, set up and administrated by SERI in cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy.

In 2011, we began to improve the material flows database by adding data on physical trade flows around the world. For this critical endeavour we collaborate with Monika Dittrich, an expert in the field of “global physical trade”. As a result of this collaboration, we have been able to conduct and publish a series of studies on different aspects of resource use (material extraction, consumption and trade) and resource efficiency at the national and regional level in Africa, Asia, the Emerging Economies, as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. In those studies we are able to investigate the trends over the past three decades (1980-2008). Also, we plan to incorporate these trade data into the website www.materialflows.net.

Resource use and resource efficiency have become key topics of concern around the world. Resource efficiency is one of the main pillars of industrial efforts to tackle increasing resource prices and competition for scarce resources. It can also help to tackle environmental degradation and climate change, which are largely caused by our current (over)consumption of resources. The studies may lend credit to the implementation of policies as well as regulatory and institutional frameworks to make industries more resource efficient and less carbon intensive.

Resource Use and Resource Efficiency: some general facts

• Today, the world economy extracts more materials resources than ever before in human history. Global material extraction has grown by almost 80% over the past 30 years and is around 70 billion tonnes.
• On average, each human being consumed 10 tonnes of materials in 2008, 1.6 tonnes more than in 1980.
• Material use has changed in all regions, but the most diverse and dynamic world region by far is Asia. Asia extracts, exports, imports and consumes around half of all globally extracted, traded and consumed materials.
• Never before in history has a similar amount of commodities been traded around the world. Trade volume in physical terms has increased by a factor of 2.5 over the past 30 years.
• The “big five” – China, the United States, India, Brazil and the Russian Federation use more than half of all globally consumed materials.
• The world economy achieved a significant de-coupling between economic growth and material use in the past 30 years; today, around one third less materials are needed to produce one unit of world GDP. However, due to the rapid expansion of production and consumption, this relative efficiency gains were overcompensated by economic growth.

Resource Use and Resource Efficiency in Asia

Resource Use and Resource Efficiency in Emerging Economies

Resource Use and Resource Efficiency in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States

Resource Use and Resource Efficiency in Africa

Outlook to global study “Green economies around the world?”

In cooperation with Monika Dittrich, SERI is currently preparing a new, global study on resource use and resource efficiency to be presented in the context of Rio+20. This report will reveal, for the first time, data on resource use and resource efficiency for all countries worldwide in the period of 1980-2008. The data covers the global, continental and country levels and will feature illustrative case studies.

Links and further information

www.materialflows.net
www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.html

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

For our team of the working group “Sustainable resource use & global responsibility” we are looking from the beginning of March for a 1-year temporary replacement (maternity leave) – with possibility for a later permanent employment – for a 30h-position as

Junior researcher

for the collaboration in national and international research projects regarding the sustainable use of natural resources. We are looking for an expert in the field of international environmental policy and international development with the capacity to combine empirical data and analyses regarding European and global resource use with current political debates in the fields of trade, development, and environment; with the aim of deducting concrete suggestions for action and policies.

The junior researcher will work instructed by a senior researcher and integrated in the working group in an interdisciplinary surrounding.
For more details please click here.

We look forward to receiving your application until February 24, 2012.

Content of the project “Environmental Pressure Index” is the construction of a composite indicator that describes the pressure for the environment on EU territory. It will comprise the major strands of European environmental policy: climate change and energy use, nature and biodiversity, air pollution and health impacts, water use and pollution, waste generation and use of resources.

The purpose and scope of the index are focused on environmental pressures and harm to the environment, bound by the EU political territory and closely linked to evaluating the effects of environmental protection policies. It should concern all major areas of EU environmental policy and reflect decreases of such pressures as a decline in the index value.

During the project decisions will be taken concerning the themes and subthemes of the index as well as the involved indicator and the methodological approach for the calculation of the composite indicator. An expert workshop will help elaborting the best-suited decisions and spreading the concept of the indicator. All choices and decisions made will be incorporated in a detailed report that should function as a handbook for the construction of composite environmental indices.

For more information click here.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

The One Planet Economy Network EU project (OPEN:EU) has just launched a unique new tool for mapping ecological carbon and water footprint data across all the 27 EU member states.

Over the past 2 years the project, in which SERI was one of 8 partners, has carried out evidence gathering, software tool design and network dialogue activities to explore how policy makers can achieve a clear understanding of the effects of policies (or the lack of policy) on the environment, so they can make responsible decisions at national and EU government level.

One of the main outcomes of the project, the EUREAPA tool (EU Resource and Energy Analysis Programme Application), a decision making support tool, is now available for free online, aimed at EU and national government policy makers, NGOs and academics. It is based on the integration of the Footprint Family of indicators with an economic model so that the impact of the EU’s trade on the environment can be demonstrated.

The tool can be used to help inform policy making across several of the policy areas identified as key components of the framework for delivering the Flagship Initiative for a Resource-efficient Europe under the Europe 2020 Strategy, such as agriculture, climate and energy, sustainable consumption and production, transport and water.

The EUREAPA tool can be accessed at www.eureapa.net.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

As part of this year’s annual conference of the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Fritz Hinterberger was invited to give a key note speech at a high-level workshop entitled “Promoting innovative industries and technologies for a sustainable future in the Europe and NIS region”, taking place on 30th of November at the UN centre in Vienna.

The workshop, organized by UNIDO’s “Europe and Newly Independent States Programme” aims to identify options for industrial modernization in this region, in order to move towards more resource and energy efficient and low carbon economies in that world region.

For the workshop, SERI prepared a background paper entitled “Resource use and resource efficiency in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States”. The paper provides an assessment of material consumption and material productivity in 30 countries across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly Independent States (NIS) in the Caucasus and Central Asia between 1995 and 2008.

The results show that material extraction in the 30 countries grew significantly between 1995 and 2008, most notably of construction minerals; the volume of material trade doubled; per capita consumption increased by 25%, from 9.8 tonnes in 1995 to 12.2 tonnes in 2008 and was thus above the global average of 10.4 tonnes but below EU-15 average of 18.6 tonnes per capita in 2008. Material productivity rose by 42 per cent between 1995 and 2008, and most of the countries experienced a relative decoupling between per capita GDP and per capita material consumption.

The paper can be found here.

More information about the workshop can be found here.

The presentation of Fritz Hinterberger can be downloaded here.

The new report “Scenarios towards a One Planet Economy in Europe” is a major outcome of the OPEN:EU project in which SERI was involved. The scenarios describe alternative, albeit not necessarily ideal visions of the transition toward a One Planet Economy in Europe by 2050. They present both an illustration of life in Europe in 2050 and the policy settings that are necessary to support the transition to this common end point under different assumptions about the future.

The scenarios were developed by SERI and the Ecologic Institute on the basis of stakeholder input provided during a two-day workshop in September 2010. The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) was responsible for quantifying and modeling the scenarios.

The four scenarios created were:
Scenario 1 – Clever and caring – a future with a quality-driven mindset towards development with dynamic technological innovation.
Scenario 2 – Fast forward – a future with a quantity-driven mindset towards development with dynamic technological innovation.
Scenario 3 – Breaking point – a future with a quantity-driven mindset towards development with technological stagnation.
Scenario 4 – Slow motion – a future with a quality-driven mindset towards development with technological stagnation.

The results of the scenario modelling exercise suggest that the transformation of Europe into a One Planet Economy by 2050 would require very aggressive policy action even under the most beneficial circumstances.

The report can be downloaded here.

Der Uranabbau erfolgt meist unter unmenschlichen Bedingungen, und die Bevölkerung wird ungeschützt den Gefahren ausgesetzt. Zum Beispiel hat die Regierung in Niger Schürfrechte an ausländische Konzerne verkauft. Die betroffenen Gebiete wurden den Nomadenvölkern weggenommen. Die Folgen sind bewaffnete Aufstände, Menschenrechtsverletzungen und verseuchte Wasserquellen. In den USA und in Kanada erfolgt der Uranabbau in den indianischen Siedlungsgebieten. Die Ureinwohner sind gegenüber den Uran-Konzernen praktisch rechtlos und die Grubenarbeiter sind ungeschützt und unaufgeklärt bezüglich der gesundheitlichen Gefahren. Unter dem autoritären Regime in Kasachstan wird das Uran in bereits durch Atombombentests verseuchten Gebieten abgebaut. Weitere Bespiele in der Art gäbe es zur Genüge.

Der Transport
Die Uranproduktion und der Uranverbrauch finden örtlich getrennt statt. Dort wo abgebaut wird, wird meist nicht konsumiert, weshalb kürzere oder längere Transportstrecken entstehen. Die Uranabbauländer profitieren also nicht einmal von dem geförderten Rohstoff, sind aber von den Umweltbelastungen des Abbaus stark betroffen. Das heißt, dass das abgebaute Uran quer durch die ganze Welt transportiert wird. Unfälle, mit verheerenden Auswirkungen für Mensch und Umwelt, sind bei den Transporten einfach nicht auszuschließen.

Im Atomkraftwerk
Es wird angenommen, dass in einer Nähe zwischen 20 und 50 km rund um ein Atomkraftwerk ein erhöhtes Krebsrisiko besteht. Im Normalbetrieb! Je nach Studie gibt es dazu aber unterschiedliche Ergebnisse. Je nachdem wer die Studie finanziert hat…

Ein weiteres Risiko ist ein technischer Störfall bei dem es zum Austritt von radioaktivem Material kommen kann. Im schlimmsten Fall passiert eine Kernschmelze wodurch große Mengen an radioaktivem Material freigesetzt werden. Die Atombefürworter verwenden seit Jahrzehnten das gleiche Argument der „nächsten Generation“ an Atomkraftwerken, in denen es so gut wie nicht mehr zu technischen Problemen kommen kann. Schon in den sechziger Jahren gibt es „die nächste Generation“. Technische Störfälle gab es trotzdem und wird es höchstwahrscheinlich weiterhin geben.

Ein Störfall kann auch aufgrund von Naturkatastrophen ausgelöst werden, wie im Jahr 2011 in Fukushima. Ein Tsunami, ein Hurrikan oder eine Überschwemmung sind Beispiele. Die Annahme, dass Atomkraftwerke in Gebieten errichtet werden, welche weniger vulnerabel sind, kann jedoch nicht getroffen werden. Unzählige Atomkraftwerke stehen zum Beispiel auf seismisch aktivem Boden oder küstennahe.

Ein weiteres Argument dafür, keine weiteren Atomkraftwerke zu errichten und die vorhandenen abzuschalten sind Terroranschläge. Nicht auszumachen sich vorzustellen, dass ein Atomkraftwerk in Europa vorsätzlich in die Luft gesprengt wird! Da kann auch die „nächste Generation“ an AKWs nicht mehr abhelfen.

Lagerung des Abfalls
Bis dato gibt es kein Endlager für radioaktiven Abfall. Es ist anzuzweifeln, dass es dieses je geben wird. Es wird vom „Zwischenlager“ gesprochen. Zwischenlager bis man heraus gefunden hat wie sich Atommüll von selbst auflöst und während des Auflösungsprozesses das CO2 aus der Luft aufsaugt. Nein, im Ernst, ein Endlager müsste unter Tage geschaffen werden, jedoch auch nicht zu tief, da es zu heiß werden kann. Des Weiteren müsste dieses Endlager für Millionen von Jahren wasserdicht sein und eine Rückholmöglichkeit der Behälter muss (sogar gesetzlich) bis 500 Jahre nach Verschluss der Behälter gegeben sein. Und noch etwas: wie markieren wir (also, wir die Menschheit), dass an dieser Stelle ein „Endlager“ ist. Das muss eine Markierung sein, welche Millionen von Jahren haltbar und sichtbar ist. Ein Bauwerk?

Die Verwendung von Atomenergie fördert gleichzeitig die Proliferation von atomaren Massenvernichtungswaffen. Neben der Verwendung des radioaktiven Materials zur Erzeugung von Energie wird an einer Weiterentwicklung von Atomwaffen gearbeitet und die Technologie weiter verbreitet. Die militärische und zivile Nutzung ist kaum zu trennen, da im Verborgenen des Atomkraftwerkes nur schwer eine flächendeckende Kontrolle stattfinden kann. Es gibt zwar den Atomwaffensperrvertrag, welcher ein Verbot der Verbreitung und eine Verpflichtung zur Abrüstung von Kernwaffen beschreibt, jedoch ist der längst nicht von allen atomaren Mächten unterzeichnet (zB: Israel, Pakistan, Nordkorea).

Noch ein weiteres Argument abschließend, welches mir Wolfgang Pekny einmal erklärt hat. Für all jene die das Europa 2020 Ziel mit Atomkraft erreichen wollen. The Triple 7: Sieben Jahre für die Planung, sieben Jahre für den Bau und sieben Jahre Stromerzeugung bis sich Planung und Bau wieder energetisch amortisiert haben. Ja, jetzt rechne mal nach.

Abschließend muss ich noch die millionenschwere Atomlobby erwähnen. Wahrscheinlich ist das nicht einmal 1/10 der Probleme mit der Atomkraft die wir haben, weil wir vom Rest nicht einmal etwas wissen…

Ok, jetzt will ich doch nicht so negativ aufhören. Wie schon am Anfang gesagt ist es möglich Atomkraftwerke abzuschalten, wenn wir uns ein bisschen einschränken. Wirklich nur ein bisschen und dafür jeder! Wie wärs?

Zum Projekt: Im Jänner 2012 wird das “Global Feedback Netzwerk” SLASH gestartet, welches BüroX initiiert hat und mit SERI durchführt. Damit wird der Einzelne “visuell” erfahren, dass wir alle gemeinsam mit kleinsten Maßnahmen Großes erreichen können. In der ersten Phase werden wir den Beweis antreten, binnen weniger Wochen ein AKW in der Größenordnung von Mühleberg in der Schweiz (oder Temelin in Tschechien) einsparen können. Das Globale Feedback Netzwerk SLASH verwandelt auf diese Weise unser Gefühl von Ohnmacht in eine “Grüne Revolution”.

On November 8th and November 9th Stephan Lutter gave two talks at a conference at the European Parliament. As a part of the REdUSE project Friends of the Earth was organising the conference “Responsible or Irresponsible? Europe’s Resource Use and its Impacts”.

On the first day Stephan Lutter presented a comprehensive report which has been published just recently on the connection between material use and water consumption. The report is called “UNDER PRESSURE. How our material consumption threatens the planet’s water resources” and was translated into eight different languages. The report explains also by the means of specific examples of, for instance, Lithium extraction in Chile how Europe’s current thirst for raw materials is threatening the water resources of the countries rich in resources.

On the second day, Stephan Lutter gave insights into the results of a study SERI carried out for Friends of the Earth on actual land demand related to the resources and products consumed in Europe. The study illustrates that to satisfy Europe’s consumption requirements large quantities of land are used in different parts of the world. Hence, Europe has a considerable land “footprint” all around the globe.