ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

University academics help develop major global sustainability report

Posted Today

Humanity faces a critical tension between the scarcity of natural resources and the need to provide for an ever-growing population – and will need to acknowledge this fact.

That is the message of an which has been developed with the input of academics from ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ.

The University’s Deputy Vic- Chancellor, Professor Michael Lee, said: “ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ’s role in the report is a testament, not only to our depth and breadth of knowledge across the sustainability sciences, but also our eagerness to engage with all stakeholders involved in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

“Scientists from the institution contributed to the timely report’s discussions, discourse, and final refinements.”

The report, which is the first in a series tackling sweeping global sustainability matters, examines how the human demands of a growing population – for food, housing, clean water and modern comforts - can be met, however, only if we face up to the fact we cannot continue to extract finite natural resources.

Global fossil and mineral material extractions have more than tripled since 1970 – moving from 30 billion tons to 106.6billion tons in 2024 – and the UN Environment Programme’s Global Resources Outlook estimates that this demand will continue to grow without significant Government policy interventions.

Such natural capital utilisation is leading to increased environmental impacts, biodiversity loss, and the depletion of critical resources such as minerals like cobalt - widely used in electronics, lithium - used in rechargeable batteries, and rock phosphate - which is essential for high-yield agriculture.

For each of these, the known reserves are not enough to meet projected demand, often referred to as ‘planetary boundaries.’

The report recommends action to protect resources and scale the use of existing technologies, such as ensuring existing technologies such as precision agriculture and smart irrigation are disseminated globally – with a particular focus on regions where infrastructure, finance, and capacity challenges are currently holding such innovation back.

It also calls for a focus on sustainable land management practices, work to ensure expansion of woodlands is happening at a higher ration than their depletion and moves to enhance biodiversity and species resilience. It also notes such actions can be a growing business opportunity in themselves, with the right investment.

Dr Graham McAuliffe, Reader in Environmental Assessments of Food Systems at Harper Adams and contributor to the report, said: "Life Cycle Assessment, a method to quantify and identify supply-chain environmental ‘hotspots’, is widely conducted on various products and services, and quite often addresses resource use depletion, yet the communication of such studies largely focusses on climate change indicators due to the attention climate-related matters have received in recent years.

“Therefore, the theme of the opening report draws its audience’s attention to the fact that there are several other major sustainability issues to address what is, in the current case, suboptimal use at best, or irresponsible use at worst, of natural resources, thereby bringing ongoing policymaking and consumer decision-making related to excessive, and globally unequal, resource use to the forefront of discussions.”   

However, the report notes actions to slow depletion and mitigate its effects will not be enough alone – and that game-changing innovation in science and advanced manufacturing will be needed to help create new materials and actively cultivate new forms of resource abundance.

This will require bold and long-term investment decisions from Governments – and the report sets out a series of key strategies for policymakers, and actions for everyone from individuals to Universities to businesses to use to ensure natural resources are used productively.

Professor Michael Lee, another Harper Adams contributor to the report, pointed towards how the agri-food sector can contribute to a circular economy - thus reducing certain burdens on planetary boundaries.

He added: “Taking rock phosphate as an example, there are innovative companies using by-products from the livestock sector with little to no economic value or consumer demand, such as manures, to extract phosphorus and generate renewable fertilisers, off-setting the demand on mineral phosphate extraction if such technologies can be scaled appropriately.”

Harper Adams Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan, who took part in a webinar to launch the report, said: “ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ has been pleased to work with the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils on this important new report.

“All nations and their governments are exploring the most effective ways to deliver successful and thriving economies in an age where geopolitics and resources are under pressure. 

“To ensure that the benefits for society are shared, and that the overall effects of growth are positive for many, we need to take account of the impact of growth on our natural resources.

“This necessitates using new technologies and approaches to create new sources of resources, as well as ensuring that where we use and remove natural resources, we minimise distribution, engage with local and indigenous communities, and restore biodiversity where it has been disrupted.

 “This is an important and vital topic, especially if we are to find a path to feeding and providing comfortable habitats for an expanding human population.”