Key facts
are you ready
to widen your views on resources?
Providing access to clean water and sanitation to all
is the very first step towards equal living conditions for everyone on this planet.
7 billion people with equal opportunity to lead their lives
that’s what resources are for
Almost 700 million people globally (or 1 person in every 10) do not have access to improved drinking water (a drinking water source protected from outside contamination)
(« Progress on sanitation and drinking water 2015 » - WHO)
2.4 billion people (1 person in every 3) do not have access to improved sanitation facilities (hygiene facilities that avoid all contact between man and human excreta)
(« Progress on sanitation and drinking water 2015 » - WHO)
in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015.
(UN)
The water we drink, the air we breathe,
the environment we live in,
they define our health.
Growing life expectancy in the 21st century,
that's what resources are for.
Global life expectancy increased by five years between 2000 and 2015,
but major inequalities persist between countries.
(WHO World Health Statistics 2016 – “Monitoring health for the SDGs”)
Air, water and soil pollution, exposure to chemical substances, climate change… Today, these are all growing risks for global health.
(“Preventing disease through healthy environments: a global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks” 2016 study - WHO)
The annual cost of air pollution worldwide, and premature deaths caused by this pollution.
(“The Cost of Air Pollution: Strengthening the economic case for action » 2016 study – World Bank)
From the social hygiene movement of the 19th century,
and the rise of urban comfort in the 20th century (construction of public utility water networks
and the first waste collection systems), to our current fight against all forms of pollution (water, soil, air etc.),
smart and sustainable management of resources is a vital factor in improving health.
Behind every fruit, every meat, every drink,
lies a huge amount of natural resources
Securing the quantity and quality of food for billions of people,
that’s what resources are for
This is a much higher proportion than the volume of water used for human consumption (10%) or even industrial production (20%).
(FAO)
The quantity of water necessary to produce a 300g beef steak is 4,650 litres, or the equivalent of about 30 bathtubs.
(Water Footprint Network)
Exponential since the beginning of the 20th century,
global population
growth will continue throughout the 21st century.
7.3 billion today,
almost 10 billion in 2050.
(« World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision » report – UN)
With demographic growth as it is, the world has a huge challenge to face in coming years:
to double food production by 2050, at a time when natural resources are becoming scarcer.
(« How to feed the world in 2050 » forum - FAO)
Industries and services, they grow through resources too.
Helping entrepreneurs and businesses grow their activities with recycled resources,
using less resources and no impact on the environment...
Combining economic performance and sustainable development,
that’s what resources are for
The average increase in temperature between 1880 and 2012 according to the IPCC, proving the impact of industrial development and human activity on the climate. At COP21, 195 countries committed to limiting global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures by 2100.
(“Climate change 2014” report - IPCC)
Due to demographic and economic growth, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been rising for
decades, playing their part in climate change.
To limit global warming to 2°C by 2100, the IPCC has estimated that we must reduce global
emissions of GHG by 40 to 70% by 2050 (compared with 2010 levels).
(“Climate change 2014” report - IPCC)
“The circular economy aims to change the paradigm of a so-called linear economy,
by limiting resource waste and environmental impacts,
and by improving efficiency at all stages of the product lifecycle.”
(ADEME - French Environment and Energy Management Agency)
A pen, a smartphone, a house, a plane,
all things produced on earth are made out of resources.
Recycling every object that has been used to provide secondary raw materials
that’s what resources are for
The volume of raw materials extracted has risen from 22 billion tonnes in 1970 to 70 billion tonnes in 2010.
(“Global material flows and resource productivity 2016” report - UNEP)
In 2016, man consumed all the resources that the planet can renew in a year in just 7 months and 8 days. “Earth Overshoot Day”, calculated every year by the Global Footprint Network, was on 8 August 2016. The date falls earlier and earlier every year; in 2000 it was on 1 October.
(Global Footprint Network)
The material produced by recycling 5 water bottles made from PET can make one tee-shirt.
(Bureau of International Recycling)
Today recycled materials meet 40% of global raw material demand. By using recycled materials, we not only reduce the strain on natural resources but also consume less energy in production than for virgin resources.
(Bureau of International Recycling)
People live in big cities, people live in rural areas
they sometimes go to the sea, keeping every place clean, ensuring biodiversity.
Designing resourceful cities and hospitable habitats,
that's what resources are for
By 2030 the world is projected to have 41 mega-cities with over 10 million inhabitants. The combined effect of urbanisation and demographic growth will lead to an increase of 2.5 billion people living in cities by 2050.
(“World Urbanization Prospects 2014” report - United Nations)
60% of the world’s population lives less than 100 kilometres from the coastline, and coastal areas are seeing strong demographic growth.
(World Resources Institute<)
Oceans represent 71% of the planet’s surface. They are vital resources and reservoirs of biodiversity, but they are also on the receiving end of land pollution. Experts estimate that 269,000 tonnes of plastic waste, or 5,000 billion particles of all sizes, are floating on the ocean’s surface.
(« Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans » article – December 2014 - PLOS ONE)
« Façonner, ensemble, des environnements favorisant bien-être, qualité de vie, épanouissement et santé » -
Jean-Louis Chaussade, Directeur général de SUEZ
(“Health and wellness are what make cities attractive” article – June 2016 - open_resource by SUEZ)