Partner events

Outline

Climate change has adversely impacted various ecosystems from terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and ocean biomes. It intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather, natural disasters, and ecological anomalies. Meanwhile, unsustainable farming and forestry practices, i.e., intensive use of fertilizer, pesticide, freshwater, and energy, underuse of resources, and overfishing, have depleted the altered resources and polluted the environment, exacerbating the existing environmental problems and, consequentially, lowering agricultural production and biodiversity. Various adjustments are indispensable in the food supply chain stages, from farm/sea to the table. These include shifting to organic farming, reforming the food market system, communications (including labelling and geographical indications), educating consumers, balancing and diversifying diets, switching from animal-based to plant-based food consumption, etc. This workshop will provide a space for learning and exchanging ideas on recent topics in the food system and further identifying shared interests that can extend collaboration.

Outline

Modern affluence is sustained by vast resource consumption. Currently, the material footprint, i.e. the total resources consumed both directly and indirectly varies drastically between high-income and low-income countries, with a difference of up to six-fold. Achieving a decarbonised society will require significant reductions in natural resource use, and a critical step toward this goal is the increased utilisation of secondary resources through the transition to a circular economy. However, many of today's circular economy initiatives focus on securing domestic resources. Under this approach, wealthier countries with ample resource stocks could continue to exploit them, while low-income countries with limited stocks may struggle to access essential resources.

If countries pursue a circular economy solely to reduce resource consumption without addressing resource usage and future needs, the global resource gap could persist or widen. This disparity could have lasting effects on future generations especially in low income countries, limiting access to energy, infrastructure and overall quality of life, thereby exacerbation intergenerational inequity.

In this workshop, we will explore the concept and importance of ‘resource consumption equity’ in the context of a decarbonized society. We will also examine the development of a framework to define and measure equity in resource consumption.

Outline

Emerging sustainability governance initiatives are set to influence international raw material sourcing, supply chains, and trade. This workshop aims to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of how the concept of "responsibility" is being integrated into these new initiatives and frameworks. Attendees will receive an overview of the latest governance initiatives for critical mineral supply chains and how these compare to other sectors. Following this, guided group discussions will provide a platform for participants to understand the diversity of perspectives on responsible sourcing initiatives and learn from others in the room.

This workshop is open to anyone with an interest in these topics and no prior knowledge is required. The event is free to attend. Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided.