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UBA Campaign “Factor X: Beyond Climate Change”

Last changed: 08/10/2010

Natural Resources Day

On 16 September 2009, the Federal Environment Agency hosted the “Natural Resources Day” in Berlin as a side-event to the 2009 World Resources Forum in Davos. Through this event, it called for a reorientation in business, politics and society in the way natural resources – that is, renewable and finite raw materials, water and land – are used, emphasising that as well as climate change, resource protection belongs on the agenda of international environmental policy.

Some 200 visitors followed the discussions and presentations and viewed the exhibits with much interest, and breaks were used intensively for an exchange of views. During and after the panel discussion with State Secretary Müller and the round table with the “Resource Efficiency Network”, participants discussed possibilities for new cooperative projects. The press conference and the event itself were attended by representatives of different media and agencies.

Visitors witnessed a broad-ranging programme with numerous interesting features:

Broadcast of the World Resources Forum in Davos
Introduction to the subject of resource efficiency and resource protection from the viewpoint of science (Prof. Dr. Peter Hennicke) and politics (Parliamentary State Secretary Michael Müller)
Panel discussion on the subject of “Working efficiently and living well”: What must change in business and society to make us far more resource-efficient?
Presentation of the “Resource Efficiency Network” founded in March 2007 by the German Federal Environment Ministry, which combines know-how and experience to save resources in production, products and management
Exhibition and presentations on product design, which influences many phases in the life of a product, from production and use to recovery or disposal
Premiere of the short film “Factor X: Beyond Climate Change – FLOW”, produced by Sustainable Design Center e.V. on behalf of the UBA, which deals with the wastefulness with our natural resources. Through impressive imagery the film reveals how global material flows are linked and points to the limits of a consumption-oriented lifestyle. Facts and figures caution viewers to take responsibility without discouraging them;
Exhibitions and presentations by NGOs and foundations: The non-governmental organisations FIAN, INKOTA and MISEREOR drew attention to the issue of fair distribution of natural resources and to ecological and social problems linked with raw materials extraction. ASKO Europa Stiftung, DGB Bildungswerk e.V. and UnternehmensGrün e.V. presented their projects.

Link to the programme PDF / 88 KB, in German and to the World Resources Forum