Signal Global primary material use to nearly double between 2017 and 2060

Summary

The report expects that, on current trends, global use of primary materials such as metals, biomass, fossil fuels and non-metallic minerals will nearly double between 2017 and 2060. Demand for construction materials continues to rise strongly worldwide, with non-metallic minerals such as sand and gravel accounting for most of that growth. Behind this lie population growth, smaller households, economic growth, rising prosperity in emerging economies, urbanisation and infrastructure development. Since 1970 the explosive rise in resource use has gone hand in hand with serious environmental damage, as extracting and processing raw materials accounts for a very large share of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and pollution of water, soil and air. The report warns that further growth could, as in the past, harm the environment and health and destroy ecosystems and the living areas of local populations.