Towards a German Programme for Resource Efficiency

Birgit SchwenkHead of Division „Ecological Resource Efficiency“

Act Clean Conference, Berlin13 October 2011

Resource Efficiency:the ecological challenge

Resource use:• Steep rise: +50% in

last 30 years• Impacts on the

environment

Drivers:• Population growth• Growth in prosperity

2050: ?• 9,2 billion people• Resource Use: ?

Resource Efficiency: the economic challenge

Quelle: www.finanzen.net

Price of copper (US $ per ton)

Resource Efficiency: the economic challenge

Quelle: www.finanzen.net

• Rising and highly volatile prices• Germany dependent on imports: rich in minerals, but

poor in most metals and rare earths• Materials account for 45% of costs in German

manufacturing sector

Eurobarometer survey (March 2011):• 85% of German entrepreneurs report a moderate or

even dramatic rise in material costs in last 5 years, • 97% expect rising costs in future

Part of the solution: Resource Efficiency

Quelle: www.finanzen.net

More efficient use of raw materials will- lower costs - decrease dependency on imports- decrease vulnerability to rising and volatile prices- result in higher competitiveness- secure jobs and:- decrease adverse effects on the environment- secure our natural capital for future generations

2002: National Strategy for Sustainable Development

German SDS of 2002 • identified a set of 21 indicators • established quantitative targets

Raw Material Productivity: Double by 2020 (against 1994)

Further targets include: land use, energy productivity, renewable energy, biodiversity, GHG emissions

Bi-annual progress reports to monitor success

Indicator:GDP/DMI

Target:1994-2020

+100%

Status:1994-2009

+ 46.8 %

Raw material productivity:Are we on track?

2010: German Raw Materials Strategy

Quelle: www.finanzen.net

German Raw Materials Strategy (20 October 2010):

Mix of instruments to support industry in achieving a safe, secure and sustainable supplyof raw materials

Contains decision to develop a Programme for Resource Efficiency „aiming to minimise the adverse effects of resource

extraction and resource use on the environment“

The Way Forward: ProgRess!

Programme on Resource Efficiency(ProgRess)

Goals: Decouple growth from resource use Reduce resource use and environmental impacts

How?• Build on best practices and existing measures:

information, coherence, scaling up• Identify measures along the entire value chain• Explore additional indicators and targets

ProgRess: Overview

Example:Action Field „Production“

Proposed actions:

• Program to provide tailor-made advice on resource-efficiency for companies

• Support dissemination of resource-efficient production and processing methods

• Promote environmental management systems (EMAS)

• Incentives for resource-efficient product design

• Integrate resource efficiency criteria into technical norms

Resource-efficientProduction

ProgRess: Process

October 2010: German Raw Materials Strategy Mandate to develop Resource Efficiency Programme

February – April 2011 working drafts

February – June 2011 stakeholder consultations

July - September 2011 finalisation of MoE Draft

October - December 2011 government consultations on MoE draft

Envisaged for January 2012 Decision by Council of Ministers

Federal Minister Dr. Norbert Röttgen:

“Resource efficiency means innovation and modernisation. This is a prerequisite for making

societies and economies fit for the future.

Our economy has the potential to become the most resource-efficient economy in the world. And this

is what we are aiming to achieve.”

Resource Efficiency

Thank you very much for your attention!

birgit.schwenk@bmu.bund.de

www.bmu.de

NameBMU, Referat