Over 1,000 participants coming from 40 countries and international organisations attended and actively contributed to World Resources Forum 2014 in Arequipa, Peru, on 20–22 October 2014. Participants, representing governments, businesses, thinktanks, scientific communities and civil societies, as well as students and young researchers, exchanged their views on strategies to increase resource productivity, to fight climate change, to decrease the environmental and social burden of current consumption and production patterns, and to achieve a high quality of life for the current and future generations. Participants formulated global, national, regional and local policy recommendations (“resource wisdom” for cities) and proposed strategies for further action and research.