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Scientific Article details

Title A comprehensive set of resource use indicators from the micro to the macro level
ID_Doc 79393
Authors Giljum, S; Burger, E; Hinterberger, F; Lutter, S; Bruckner, M
Title A comprehensive set of resource use indicators from the micro to the macro level
Year 2011
Published Resources Conservation And Recycling, 55.0, 3
DOI 10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.09.009
Abstract Many of today's most urgent environmental problems arise from increasing volumes of worldwide production and consumption and the associated use of natural resources, including renewable and non-renewable raw materials, energy, water and land. Solid indicators to measure different dimensions of anthropogenic resource use are essential for designing appropriate policy measures for a sustainable management of these resources. Based on a brief review of the current state of the art of resource use indicators, this paper suggests a new set of complementary resource use indicators, combining existing measures for resource use. The suggested indicator set covers the core resource input categories of materials, water and land area and includes the output category of greenhouse gas emissions. This set can be applied consistently from the micro level of products and companies up to the macro level of countries and world regions. All suggested indicators take a life-cycle wide perspective on production and consumption activities. This set of indicators deals with the issue of the overall scale of the human production and consumption system. It can be regarded as the general indicator framework, based on which more specific indicators, for example, on different environmental impacts related to natural resource use, can be calculated. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Author Keywords Carbon Footprint; Ecological Footprint; Ecological rucksack; Resource use; Material flows; Sustainable Consumption and Production
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000286720800003
WoS Category Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences
Research Area Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
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