Germany 2049 – On the path to sustainable raw materials management

In 2049, the Federal Republic of Germany will be 100 years old. Hopefully, the energy turnaround will be on the right track by then. But how will raw materials policy develop during this period? Although the German government's sustainability strategy envisages doubling raw material productivity by 2020, it lacks long-term political goals and concrete measures to meet the challenges of resource scarcity, rising raw material demand and the negative effects of raw material extraction at home and abroad. In Germany and internationally, the consumption of raw materials such as construction and industrial materials as well as ores and metals is increasing. Among the triggers are rising global consumption, but also technologies that are necessary for the transformation of energy systems: Wind power plants, electric motors, solar systems. Against this background, the Öko-Institut has launched the project "Germany 2049 - Towards a Sustainable Commodity Economy", which draws up a comprehensive strategy for a long-term sustainable commodity economy based on the example of industrial society in Germany. The scientists are developing a raw material turning scenario that shows how raw material consumption can develop by 2049 and which political instruments and measures are necessary for a raw material turning. With this draft, the Institute wants to actively intervene in the political debate on a sustainable raw materials policy.