GreenMe stands for “Germany – resource efficient and GHG neutral – Material efficiency”. Using GreenEe as a basis, this scenario focuses on technical options to increase materials efficiency across all sectors.
GreenLate stands for „Germany – resource efficient and GHG neutral – late transition”. This scenario if characterized by delayed action and innovation towards greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality.
In the RESCUE project, the German Environment Agency (UBA) explores the nexus between climate protection and associated resource requirements. Using six scenarios, different development paths are explored and insights gained on how to reduce future resource use and greenhouse-gas emissions in Germany.
The service life of most electrical appliances and equipment is becoming ever shorter – at the expense of the environment. The production of new models requires the consumption of valuable precious metals and energy which are not compensated by innovations such as lower energy use. UBA has drafted policy recommendations that will be fed into the European debate about the Circular Economy Package.
In 2019, German consumption of raw materials totalled 1,328 million tonnes, or 16 tonnes per capita. This represents only a slight change in the trend up to 2018. In 2019, raw material consumption in Germany will fall slightly. German raw material consumption will also fall slightly in 2020 and 2021.
Extracting more and more new raw materials is unsustainable. The future ideal is a closed-loop, circular economy which, through “urban mining”, obtains many of its raw materials from end-of-life houses, piping, cables, cars and appliances rather than from mines and quarries. An UBA study has determined the types and quantities of potential secondary raw materials available in Germany.
The Resource Commission supports the German Environment Agency (UBA) with proposals for the sustainable management of natural resources and a circular economy. The Resource Commission consists of experts from science and research, administration, industry, and civil society. The third appointment period ended in May 2024 and the Resource Commission is currently inactive.
