There has traditionally been a reluctance in the United Nations (UN) system to engage with religion. With governments that range from theocracies and nations with state religions to secular states and those that are antireligion, it is not a propitious domain for diplomacy. In addition, especially for organizations that are science-based like UN Environment, the historical antagonism of science and religion has not helped, with emotional views on both sides, and religion seen as unscientific if not dangerous.
A healthier view might acknowledge their complementarity as two knowledge systems dealing with different aspects of human experience. Faith-based organizations have long been accredited to the Department of Public Information and the Economic and Social Council, but they have simply been seen as part of the NGO Major Group, and appreciated for their usefulness in project implementation. The possibility that they might have something special to contribute to UN processes has been ignored.
What risks do our civilisations face, and how will we identify them? Are we living through a key transition for our species and civilisations, and how would we know if we were? What forces have shaped past civilisations and our civilisations today, and what will protect future civilisations? What will determine human sustainability and resilience in the face of these planetary dangers? Is human and planetary sustainability compatible with our current expectations for economic growth and material prosperity?
To answer these and other questions, The Lancet and The Rockefeller Foundation are launching a commission and convening a major global gathering at the Foundation’s Center in Bellagio, Italy. This special edition of The Economist magazine will, together with other inputs, help shape that ongoing conversation.
In the EU, resource efficiency has been high on the political agenda since 2011, when the European Commission first included it as one of the seven flagship initiatives in its Europe 2020 Strategy for “smart, sustainable and inclusive growth”. Resource efficiency is not only considered an environmental necessity, but also a political, economic and security opportunity.
This paper first stresses the benefits and opportunities for the EU of improving its resource efficiency. It then explains the added value of the www.measuring-progress.eu web tool, which aims to improve the way policy-makers and others involved in the policy process can access, understand and use indicators for resource efficiency. It provides practical examples of relevant indicators in the form of the EU Resource Efficiency Scoreboard and a case study showing how the web tool established by NETGREEN can be used in practice. The paper concludes with a number of policy messages.