Raw Reality: UN Forecasts 60% Surge in Material Demand by 2060

According to an unpublished UN analysis seen by the Guardian, the global extraction of raw materials is expected to increase by 60% by 2060, with calamitous consequences for the climate and the environment.

Natural resource extraction has soared by almost 400% since 1970 due to industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth, according to a presentation of the five-yearly UN Global Resource Outlook made to EU ministers.

The stripping of Earth’s natural materials is already responsible for 60% of global heating impacts, including land use change, 40% of air pollution impact, and more than 90% of global water stress and land-related biodiversity loss. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Junior Kannah/AFP/Getty Images

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