A new UN report has called on countries in Asia and the Pacific, which to embark on a ‘green’ industrial revolution that takes advantage of improvements in resource efficiency so that they can prosper in the 21st century.
The region currently accounts for more than half of the world’s total resource use, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which says this is due largely to the fact that it has over half the world’s population and nearly 30 per cent of its gross domestic product.
Credit: UN
The report launched on September 19th in Beijing by UNEP and its partners estimates that per capita resource consumption in the region, including of construction materials and fuels, needs to be around 80 per cent less than today if sustainable development is to be achieved.
From 32 Billion to 80 Billion Tonnes of Polluting Materials a Year!
The region’s growth has come at a high cost, according “Resource Efficiency-Economics and Outlook for Asia and the Pacific,” including pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, deteriorating ecosystems and rapid resource depletion.
Total materials consumed in 2005 alone – including biomass, fossil fuels, metals and industrial and construction materials – amounted to around 32 billion tonnes, says the report, which adds that the figure could rise to 80 billion tonnes by 2050 if a different course of action is not taken.
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