Urgent Call to Rethink Global Resource Management for Stability and Sustainability

According to a report published on August 13, 2025, the global economy's current resource management systems are highly extractive and inefficient, driving around 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, over 90% of land-related biodiversity loss and water stress, and 40% of particulate matter pollution. The report argues that if we want the global economy to stay stable, competitive and sustainable, we need to urgently rethink how we manage the world's natural resources.

The report reveals that rich countries are using six times more materials per capita than low-income countries, which is profoundly unfair. As natural resource stocks dwindle amid growing demand for critical minerals, the report warns that we are already seeing the consequences in conflicts, potential land grabs, and rising tensions around the world.

To address this, the report proposes the establishment of an International Materials Agency that would serve as a central hub for overseeing how resources are extracted, traded and used. Ideally located in a resource-rich country in the Global South, the agency would offer reliable data, provide guidance on global standards and policy, and support governments and businesses in aligning their resource use with climate and development goals.

The report emphasizes the need for a transparent and justice-based framework for international resource governance, which could help deliver on existing climate and nature commitments while increasing fairness and competitiveness. It calls for the development of new metrics to track how systems of provisioning for key sectors like food, housing, transport and energy contribute to wellbeing while staying within planetary boundaries.