Sustainabilty
How to protect resources
Around the world, more and more people consume more and more resources. Raw materials are becoming scarcer and waste volumes are constantly on the rise.
Joint Initiative Circular Economy (JICE)
(Source: KfW / bp Content / Nutcracker)
The UN has warned that annual global resource consumption will double by 2060 and that greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise dramatically. At the same time, the World Bank estimates that global annual municipal waste will have risen by 70 per cent by 2050.
A circular economy is considered as the solution to the global waste problem, it helps reduce resource consumption and carbon emissions. But what exactly is circular economy, and how can it be achieved? Our film gives some answers – you can find it also in French if you scroll down the page.
Published on KfW Stories: 18 September 2019, last updated 20 May 2025.
The described project contributes to the following United Nationsʼ Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Humanity has long lived beyond its ecological means. This applies in particular to industrial countries and the growing upper and middle classes in many emerging economies. The transition to an economic strategy and way of life that respects the natural limitations of our planet can only be successful if we adjust our consumption habits and production techniques. Internationally valid rules for labour, health and environmental protection are important for this.
All United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015. At its heart is a list of 17 goals for sustainable development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our world should become a place where people are able to live in peace with each other in ways that are ecologically compatible, socially just, and economically effective.
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