Assessment of Resource Nexus-related Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of the European Green Deal
Background report for the EEA Briefing
- Publication
- Citation
Best, Aaron, Susanne Langsdorf, Laurens Duin, Ariel Araujo (2021). Assessment of resource nexus-related challenges and opportunities in the context of the European Green Deal. Background report for the EEA Briefing "Applying a 'resource nexus' lens to policy: opportunities for increasing coherence".
This background report examines European Green Deal policies from a resource nexus perspective, identifying relevant challenges and opportunities associated with particular transition pathways foreseen in the European Green Deal. The background report functions as a supporting document to the EEA briefing on these topics entitled "Applying a 'resource nexus' lens to policy: opportunities for increasing coherence". A brief overview of the European Green Deal as well as the resource nexus is included in this introduction to familiarise all readers with the relevant concepts.
Section 2 of the report characterises existing interactions among the nodes of the EEA's re-source nexus framework (i.e. water, energy, food, land, materials, and ecosystems). Particular emphasis is placed on interactions yielding synergies and trade-offs between resource uses. Considerations of climate and health are also incorporated in the characterisation. Key synergies and trade-offs are identified based on a literature review.
Section 3 characterises European Green Deal policies related to three topics – food, mobility and energy – that have a particularly high resource nexus relevance.
The remaining sections consist of three case studies that examine particular European Green Deal policies and related transition pathways, characterising challenges and opportunities from a resource nexus lens. These case studies provide a more in-depth examination of resource nexus synergies and trade-offs. Each of these case studies represents a high-level policy area addressed by the European Green Deal, where applying a resource nexus approach can exemplify how synergies and trade-offs could be identified and the findings used to inform policy. The case studies are:
- the role of increased organic farming and reduced use of pesticides;
- sustainable bioenergy; and
- electric vehicles and batteries.