Through a combination of resource efficiency, climate mitigation, carbon removal, and biodiversity protection policies, this report finds that it is feasible and possible to grow economies, increase well-being and remain within planetary boundaries. The analysis and modelling presented in this report are a first attempt to understand the impacts of our growing resource use, and to develop coherent scenario projections for resource efficiency and sustainable production and consumption that decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.

This report presents global projections of materials use and their environmental consequences, providing a quantitative outlook to 2060 at the global, sectoral and regional levels for 61 different materials (biomass resources, fossil fuels, metals and non-metallic minerals). It explains the ...

Published to coincide with the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, UN Environment's sixth Global Environment Outlook calls on decision makers to take bold and urgent action to address pressing environmental issues in order to protect the planet and human health. By bringing together hundreds of scientists, peer reviewers and collaborating institutions and partners, the GEO reports build on sound scientific knowledge to provide governments, local authorities, businesses and individual citizens with the information needed to guide societies to a truly sustainable world by 2050. GEO-6 outlines the current state of the environment, illustrates possible future environmental trends and analyses the effectiveness of policies. This flagship report shows how governments can put us on the path to a truly sustainable future - emphasising that urgent and inclusive action is needed to achieve a healthy planet with healthy people. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

The World Energy Outlook series is a leading source of strategic insight on the future of energy and energy-related emissions, providing detailed scenarios that map out the consequences of different energy policy and investment choices. This year's edition updates the outlooks for all fuels, technologies and regions, based on the latest market data, policy initiatives and cost trends. In addition, the 2019 report tackles some key questions in depth: (i) What do the shale revolution, the rise of liquefied natural gas, the falling costs of renewables and the spread of digital technologies mean for tomorrow's energy supply?; (ii) How can the world get on a pathway to meet global climate targets and other sustainable energy goals?; (iii) What are the energy choices that will shape Africa's future, and how might the rise of the African consumer affect global trends?; (iv) How large a role could offshore wind play in the transformation of the energy sector?; (v) Could the world's gas grids one day deliver low-carbon energy?

Understanding future supply and demand of raw materials and the associated environmental and social implications is essential to supporting the transition towards greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050. In this Special Issue, we present a range of research papers with a focus on future outlooks of material supply and use, the consideration of associated environmental and social implications, and issues of raw material criticality and a circular economy. These are complemented by an editorial paper that provides, amongst other aspects, an overview of the corresponding policy and institutional framework. Knowledge of materials availability, their use patterns in modern economies, and associated environmental and social trade-offs is essential for informed decision-making in support of the necessary transition towards more resource-efficient and greenhouse-gas-neutral societies in the coming years.

This book explores a disciplinary matrix for the study of the law and governance concerning mining and minerals from a global perspective. The book considers the key challenges of achieving the goals of Agenda 2030 and the transition to low-carbon circular economies. The perspective encompasses the multi-faceted and highly complex interaction of multiple fields of international law and policy, soft law and standards, domestic laws and regulations as well as local levels of ordering of social relations. What emerges is a largely neglected, unsystematised and under-theorised field of study which lies at the intersection of the global economy, environmental sustainability, human rights and social equity. But it also underlies the many loopholes to address at all levels, most notably at the local level – land and land holders, artisanal miners, ecosystems, local economies, local linkages and development. The book calls for a truly cosmopolitan academic discipline to be built and identifies challenges to do so. It also sets a research agenda for further studies in this fast-changing field.

WIPO’s second edition of the Green Technology Book illustrates how innovation, technology and intellectual property are at the forefront of climate change mitigation. This edition focuses on cities, agriculture and land use, and industry showcasing the diversity of developed and emerging technologies and solutions that aim to mitigate climate change.

This outlook highlights climate-safe investment options until 2050, policies for transition and specific regional challenges. It also explores options to eventually cut emissions to zero.