Mapping the Role of Raw Materials in Sustainable Development Goals

Download or read book Mapping the Role of Raw Materials in Sustainable Development Goals written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The UN 2030 Agenda (UN General Assembly, 2015) established 17 Goals for implementing sustainable development by acknowledging the interdependency of society, environment, and economy, and by strengthening peaceful societies. The EU has a well-established development policy in place and the New European Consensus on Development means it has settled a shared vision and framework for action in development cooperation (European Union, 2017a). Through this document, the EU has aligned itself to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. Moreover, a set of indicators to monitor the SDGs at EU level has been published (Eurostat, 2017a). Raw materials (RM) are ubiquitous in modern societies and essential to economic growth and well-being, and they contribute to the SDGs in different ways. The production of materials can generate severe environmental and social impacts, especially in developing and weak governance countries. However, their use for example in high-tech applications, transport and energy infrastructures, the construction sector, medical devices etc. demonstrates their crucial role for economic development and human well-being. The EU strategy on non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials tackles the challenges related to these sectors, promoting a secure and sustainable supply from domestic sources and international markets, and increasing the contribution of secondary materials. In support of this policy and in cooperation with DG GROW, the Joint Research Centre is developing an EU knowledge base that comprises the Raw Materials Information System and the Raw Materials Scoreboard. The latter is a collection of indicators on several aspects relating to the RM sectors, encompassing economic, environmental, and social considerations as well as aspects related to governance and the security of supply. This study scrutinizes how raw materials hinder or contribute to the SDGs, and is based on a review of the literature and expert opinion. It considers the whole value chain (extraction, manufacturing, use, end-of-life) of biotic and abiotic materials. The twofold role of raw materials emerges in many cases. For instance, production of raw materials results in greenhouse gas emissions, but their use in low-carbon energy technologies contributes to the fight against climate change. Extraction of materials and manufacturing can also pollute water bodies and create water stress, but some materials are essential for environmental technologies and water treatment techniques. The outcome of the analysis stresses the potential of forestry to contribute to several SDGs, especially in relation to climate and biodiversity. However, it also highlights the importance of sustainable forest management to maintain the provisioning services of ecosystems. Overall, addressing interlinkages and trade-offs between different SDGs and the various phases of the supply chains appear to be crucial in promoting sustainable development. This study also provides linkages with some current European policies and actions related to the sustainability of raw materials from extraction to consumption. In addition, it compares the indicators of the SDG framework with those present in the Raw Materials Scoreboard, an EC publication monitoring the main challenges of raw materials production in the EU.