“Shaping the Future of Natural Resources”: natural resource use trends and limitations, eco-efficient technologies, economic frameworks.
Through our multi-stakeholder research and implementation projects, we work to facilitate the advancement of scientific knowledge and build institutional and technical capacity for a sustainable use of natural resources globally. Thanks to a wide network of international partners, we participate in large European projects and coordinate complex implementation projects, with a strong focus on African and Latin American countries.
Since 2009, we have organised conferences in Japan, Switzerland, China, Peru, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Belgium and Ghana, resulting in:
On October 12-14 2021, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Ghana co-hosted the World Resources Forum 2021. WRF’21 took place as a hybrid event, with two local hubs in Accra and Zurich, and a three days of online sessions.
WRF’21 acted as an interactive platform for sharing and discussing the latest research, policies and practices in the field. With over 40% of total participants from Africa, the Forum put the challenges and solutions for sustainable resource use in Africa at the core of an international debate.
“A Green Deal for Sustainable Resources”: global governance of raw materials, circular economy in Africa, trade and finance, fair transition to circularity, responsible mining, secondary materials.
“Making Natural Resource Governance Fir for the 21st Century”: governance of mineral resources, circular economy in Africa, raw materials trends, sustainable consumption and production.
“Closing Loops – Transitions at work”: 1.5-degree lifestyles, global metal flows, digital technologies, sustainable materials, climate policy, bio-economy, soil and land, ports in a circular economy.
Swiss initiatives and networks on resource efficiency, innovative solutions in the built environment, governance and trade of mineral resources.
“Accelerating the Resource Revolution”: governance of raw materials circular economy and sustainable recycling, resource efficiency and decoupling, lifecycle thinking, smart cities.
‘Building Sustainable Cities and Lifestyles’: sustainable business and financing, bio-economy, sustainable lifestyles and education, sustainable and inclusive cities and buildings.
“From the Energy to the Resource Revolution”: the supply of critical metals and other resources needed for renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, innovation and economic growth.
“Boosting Resource Productivity by Adopting the Circular Economy”: resource efficiency, investments in innovation for sustainable production, sustainable lifestyles for shared prosperity.
‘Resource Productivity in the Asia Pacific’: resource productivity, enabling transition pathways and innovation through collaboration.
‘Innovation, Competitiveness and Resource Efficiency’: international policy coordination, cleaner production, resource policies for climate change, circular economy, measuring progress.
“Resource Efficiency, Governance and Lifestyles”: global resource governance, resource productivity and the social and environmental impact of current consumption and production systems.
“Resources and Green Economy”: relation between resource scarcity, increasing prices and unsustainable use of resources with economic development and global stability.
“Shaping the Future of Natural Resources – Towards a Green Economy”: supply security, assessment methods, resource use indicators and targets, social impact of resource use, communication and education.
Accelerating the resource revolutions is the right issue to be addressed and the WRF is the right place to be for all who care for the future of humanity.