| Description |
The material footprint, also referred to as raw material consumption (RMC), represents the global demand for the extraction of materials (minerals, metal ore, biomass, fossil energy materials) induced by consumption of goods and services within a geographical reference area. Data for material footprints stem from material flow accounts, which model the flows of natural resources from the environment into the economy. They include domestic extraction of materials measured in tonnes of gross material (for example, gross ore or gross harvest) as well as imports and exports measured by estimates of the raw material equivalents of the products traded (domestic and abroad extraction required to produce the traded products). RMC thus shows the amount of extraction needed to produce the goods demanded by final users in the geographical reference area, irrespective of where in the world the material extraction took place. |
|---|---|
| Rationale |
Indicator is used to monitor progress towards SDG 12 on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under ‘Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature’. SDG 12 calls for a comprehensive set of actions from businesses, policy-makers, researchers and consumers to adapt to sustainable practices. It envisions sustainable production and consumption based on advanced technological capacity, resource efficiency and reduced global waste. SDG 8, among other things, calls for promoting labour rights and safe and secure working environments The indicator can be considered as similar to the global SDG indicator 8.4.1 and 12.2.1 element “Material footprint”. |
| Content and progress |
The 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) adopted in March 2022 aims to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient and regenerative economy, recognising that human wellbeing depends on healthy ecosystems. Among its priority objectives are achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and restoring biodiversity. The Circular Economy Action Plan adopted in 2020 aims to double the EU’s circular material use rate in the coming decade to support the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050, to decouple economic growth from resource use and waste generation and to keep resource consumption within ecological boundaries. In March 2022, the European Commission adopted a package on Circular Economy measures to make sustainable products the norm in the EU and boost circular business models. |
| Long-term objective |
No description |
Download source data for disaggregations (.csv)
Headline data
| Year | Value |
|---|---|
| 2015 |
| Description |
The material footprint, also referred to as raw material consumption (RMC), represents the global demand for the extraction of materials (minerals, metal ore, biomass, fossil energy materials) induced by consumption of goods and services within a geographical reference area. Data for material footprints stem from material flow accounts, which model the flows of natural resources from the environment into the economy. They include domestic extraction of materials measured in tonnes of gross material (for example, gross ore or gross harvest) as well as imports and exports measured by estimates of the raw material equivalents of the products traded (domestic and abroad extraction required to produce the traded products). RMC thus shows the amount of extraction needed to produce the goods demanded by final users in the geographical reference area, irrespective of where in the world the material extraction took place. |
|---|---|
| Rationale |
Indicator is used to monitor progress towards SDG 12 on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under ‘Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature’. SDG 12 calls for a comprehensive set of actions from businesses, policy-makers, researchers and consumers to adapt to sustainable practices. It envisions sustainable production and consumption based on advanced technological capacity, resource efficiency and reduced global waste. SDG 8, among other things, calls for promoting labour rights and safe and secure working environments The indicator can be considered as similar to the global SDG indicator 8.4.1 and 12.2.1 element “Material footprint”. |
| Content and progress |
The 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) adopted in March 2022 aims to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient and regenerative economy, recognising that human wellbeing depends on healthy ecosystems. Among its priority objectives are achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and restoring biodiversity. The Circular Economy Action Plan adopted in 2020 aims to double the EU’s circular material use rate in the coming decade to support the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050, to decouple economic growth from resource use and waste generation and to keep resource consumption within ecological boundaries. In March 2022, the European Commission adopted a package on Circular Economy measures to make sustainable products the norm in the EU and boost circular business models. |
| Long-term objective |
No description |
Source 1
| Organisation |
Eurostat |
|---|