Fostering Resource Security and Sustainable Development through improved monitoring of the Physical Economy
MinFuture Policy Brief (D6.4.1)
- Publication
- Citation
Araujo Sosa, A.; Hirschnitz-Garbers, M.; and Müller, D. (2018). Fostering Resource Security and Sustainable Development through improved monitoring of the Physical Economy. MinFuture Policy Brief (D6.4.1); Ecologic Institute: Berlin
Many of today’s large societal challenges, such as climate change mitigation, resource security, urbanisation and migration require a fundamental transformation of the way we use natural resources. However, our understanding of the stocks and flows of materials and energy (the physical economy) is highly fragmented and involves significant knowledge gaps. The MinFuture project developed a framework aimed at providing guidance on how to perform more systematic monitoring of the physical economy, as well as steps helping to implement such a system. The MinFuture Policy Brief is available for download.
The key recommendations are:
- Develop a data infrastructure for material and energy stocks and flows that integrates stocks and flows data from governmental statistics and individual projects into a systems context.
- Establish legal and institutional conditions, at relevant governance levels, to support the development and maintenance of this data infrastructure.
- Address main knowledge gaps on the accounting of (i) geological stocks, (ii) anthropogenic (in use) stocks, and (iii) supply chains.
