The new industrial revolution, along with the ‘circular’ and ‘sharing’ economy, are reconfiguring economic activities across the world. How can these activities be aligned with the idea of a sustainable resource economy which includes  deep decarbonization?

Sand is a critical ingredient for many of the materials that we take for granted: concrete, glass and asphalt. Sand and coarse aggregates form the backbone of the modern world and also, through land reclamation, the ground on which we live. A growing global population increasingly living in cities has led to a spiralling rise in the extraction of sand and aggregates, with serious environmental, political and social consequences.

Is the electric business doomed? That may seem a foolish question when every analysis indicates that global electricity use will continue to increase rapidly in the coming decades. But that depends on what you mean by 'electric business'. Electricity was not originally a business. It might, once again, no longer be.

Treating 'run-of-the-river' hydro, wind and solar electricity as consumable commodities is fundamentally inconsistent, and has important implications for policy and investment, argues Walt Patterson.  

As renewables become a large share of the global energy mix, greater electricity system flexibility will be critical and will originate from the small scale, write Daniel Quiggin and Antony Froggatt.

The world is undergoing a dramatic electricity transition, and the global struggle for power over this transformed electric system is set to profoundly shape our future, argues Walt Patterson.

The dialogue explored tools to shift societal preferences and support more sustainable consumption behaviours. It analysed lessons from experiences of ‘nudging’ and other efforts in policy areas such as food, energy, buildings and infrastructure, and identified promising opportunities where interventions that target demand-side shifts could deliver more sustainable outcomes. Participants were from industry, government, international organizations, NGOs, academia, foundations and think tanks.

High quality recycling of industrial materials is a key strategy for delivering a low carbon circular future, argues John Gardner.

The demise of internal combustion vehicles is in sight with electric vehicles poised to replace them. But the cost and scarcity of critical metals could prove a major hurdle, writes Daniel Quiggin.

Resource saturation levels for China indicate that appetite for materials is likely to flatten after physical infrastructures and basic industries have been set up, argues Raimund Bleischwitz.

Material efficiency could reduce industrial GHG emissions but has received relatively little attention to date. A 'systems' approach to policy formation is now needed, writes Simone Cooper-Searle.