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A comprehensive set of resource use indicators from the micro to the macro level

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  • Giljum, Stefan
  • Burger, Eva
  • Hinterberger, Friedrich
  • Lutter, Stephan
  • Bruckner, Martin

Abstract

Many of today's most urgent environmental problems arise from increasing volumes of worldwide production and consumption and the associated use of natural resources, including renewable and non-renewable raw materials, energy, water and land. Solid indicators to measure different dimensions of anthropogenic resource use are essential for designing appropriate policy measures for a sustainable management of these resources. Based on a brief review of the current state of the art of resource use indicators, this paper suggests a new set of complementary resource use indicators, combining existing measures for resource use. The suggested indicator set covers the core resource input categories of materials, water and land area and includes the output category of greenhouse gas emissions. This set can be applied consistently from the micro level of products and companies up to the macro level of countries and world regions. All suggested indicators take a life-cycle wide perspective on production and consumption activities. This set of indicators deals with the issue of the overall scale of the human production and consumption system. It can be regarded as the general indicator framework, based on which more specific indicators, for example, on different environmental impacts related to natural resource use, can be calculated.

Suggested Citation

  • Giljum, Stefan & Burger, Eva & Hinterberger, Friedrich & Lutter, Stephan & Bruckner, Martin, 2011. "A comprehensive set of resource use indicators from the micro to the macro level," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 300-308.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:55:y:2011:i:3:p:300-308
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.09.009
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    2. Marrero, Madelyn & Puerto, Manuel & Rivero-Camacho, Cristina & Freire-Guerrero, Antonio & Solís-Guzmán, Jaime, 2017. "Assessing the economic impact and ecological footprint of construction and demolition waste during the urbanization of rural land," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PB), pages 160-174.
    3. Cifrian, Eva & Galan, Berta & Andres, Ana & Viguri, Javier R., 2012. "Material flow indicators and carbon footprint for MSW management systems: Analysis and application at regional level, Cantabria, Spain," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 54-66.
    4. Tran, Thuc Han & Egermann, Markus, 2022. "Land-use implications of energy transition pathways towards decarbonisation – Comparing the footprints of Vietnam, New Zealand and Finland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    5. Asma Awan & Sidra Nawaz, 2022. "Towards Green Growth: Monitoring Progress and Investigating Its Determinants in South Asia," Journal of Economic Impact, Science Impact Publishers, vol. 4(3), pages 252-264.
    6. Huang, Chu-Long & Vause, Jonathan & Ma, Hwong-Wen & Yu, Chang-Ping, 2012. "Using material/substance flow analysis to support sustainable development assessment: A literature review and outlook," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 104-116.
    7. Huysman, Sofie & Sala, Serenella & Mancini, Lucia & Ardente, Fulvio & Alvarenga, Rodrigo A.F. & De Meester, Steven & Mathieux, Fabrice & Dewulf, Jo, 2015. "Toward a systematized framework for resource efficiency indicators," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 68-76.
    8. Valero, Alicia & Valero, Antonio & Calvo, Guiomar, 2015. "Using thermodynamics to improve the resource efficiency indicator GDP/DMC," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 110-117.

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