“Responsible Consumption and Production” in Oceania

Overconsumption and production in some of the most remote places on Earth.

For this month’s briefing, we are focusing on responsible consumption and production (C&P) in Oceania. Specifically, we will look at the sustainable management and use of natural resources, and the material footprint of the region, both in total levels and in relation to GDP.

What makes this goal so important?

We need to start re-evaluating our C&P habits to devise new ways to decouple economic growth and development from the extraction of natural resources and its impact on the natural environment. Research led at Stockholm University has shown how humanity is already exceeding its planetary ‘boundaries’, with Climate Change representing just one of nine issues of concern in Figure 1.

As a society, our reliance on natural resources has been at best unsustainable, and wasteful at worst. On the demand side, the UNEP estimates that if global population levels reach 9.6 billion people by 2050, the earth would require the equivalent of three planets worth of natural resources to sustain current levels of living standards. These projections do not even begin to factor in how much more resources would be required should billions more people improve their economic circumstances and living standards.

On the efficiency side, humanity is shambolic. When looking at the food sector, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year; around one third of all food produced.

Something has to give.

Background, history and theory.

This concern of Earth’s finite resources is nothing new, and it dates back to Thomas Malthus (1766-1834), whose now famous theory explained that given the rapid growth of human populations, there would come a time where food supplies and natural resources would be unable to keep up. In recent decades, there has been a heightened level of attention focused on the issue as highlighted in Table 1.

Small footprint. Big footprint.

So where does this leave us and what’s going on in Oceania? In Figure 2, we are presented with a contradiction. Oceania (which for these purposes does not include Australia and New Zealand in the data provided by UNSTATS) has the lowest total levels of material consumption on earth, accounting for 0.11% of global demand.

This is only half the story.

When measured against GDP on a kilo/$ basis, Oceania has the third highest rate on earth; over 5x the rates of Western Europe and North America. This is due to a combination of the small size of their economies, their over-reliance on commodities and natural resources to support their economies, and high levels of imports required to support their domestic consumption needs.

Unfortunately, given local realities such as their relative geographic isolation, it will be difficult to overcome these relatively sky-high consumption patterns.

However, Oceania provides the perfect opportunity for experimentation with novel solutions that if successful, could then be scaled up across the globe.

Solutions and the way forward.

So, what can be done in Oceania to help decouple its potential economic growth from resources extraction and consumption to limit impacting the local environment further. Below are X solutions that could lead to a dramatic reduction in C&P in Oceania.

The circular economy. On a systems level, it is important to change how we think about the food we produce and our attitudes to consuming them. One framework that has been gaining a lot of traction in recent years is the concept of a ‘circular economy’. A circular economy is one where products, materials are designed from the start with the understanding that their end of life will be more sustainable. This can include recycling products instead of disposing them, reusing products, or even switching to less harmful products that are biodegradable and will not pollute the natural environment.
Natural resource management. Strong local policy supporting the local environment including protective exclusion zones would allow for the local environment to recover and thrive such as fish populations for island nations. Within this pillar could also include best-in-class farming practices such as crop rotation.
Next generation technologies. The final tools in the arsenal would include a combination of next generation technologies to support sustainable C&P. Depending on local needs, it could include:
- Satellite technologies for the monitoring of natural resources;
- Blockchain startups that provide the tracking of resources across the value chain;
- The continued shift to more renewable energy sources to support local industry, and consumers alike, or;
- Next generation recycling facilities including waste-to-energy to increase the value from disposed products.

Through a combination of the 3 tools above, Oceania can serve as an inspiration for the rest of the world in how to bring constructive change.

If you’re interested in learning more about the kind of projects we work on and how we can potentially support your initiatives, please email our Chief Sustainability Officer at [email protected].