Sustainable growth in the European Union

Sustainable resource management, raw materials security, Factor-X resource productivity – tools for delivering sustainable growth in the European Union

Conference organised by the College of Europe in cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.

6-7 December 2006, Bruges/Belgium, location NOVOTEL

Conference Chair: Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleischwitz, Toyota Chair for Industry and Sustainability, College of Europe and Wuppertal Institute, Research Group ‘Material Flows and Resource Management’.
Conference Manager: Katrin Fuhrmann.

The management of natural resources such as metals, industrial minerals, construction minerals, fossil fuels and renewable resources has been a challenge to sustainable development from the very beginning. It now can be seen as one of the most persisting problems worldwide. Economics and other branches of research have to explore appropriate tools able to deliver sustainable growth.

The conference had two starting points: firstly, the concern for high raw material prices on international markets and security of supply, secondly, the recently launched European thematic strategy on sustainable management of natural resources (COM(2005) 670 final) which aims at reducing environmental impacts from resource use in a growing economy and increasing resource productivity. The conference tried to shed light on the status quo and on trends in both areas. By discussing tools and response options for both policy-makers and industry, it took a forward-looking view. Those options included business strategies, sectoral action plans, incentive systems, and international mechanisms. The conference also discussed modelling techniques such as input-output analysis and scenario development.