When the G7 Leaders convened in Elmau, Germany, on 7-8 June they discussed the global economy, as well as foreign, security and development policy issues, but also climate/energy and resource efficiency.
On resource efficiency, the final declaration includes a specific section on this topic. Therein, the leaders acknowledge the importance of resource efficiency for competitiveness, growth and jobs and argue that life-cycle-based decision making can ensure that focus is placed on sectors with significant potential. The Leaders also commit to take action in order to improve resource efficiency, and this will include the setting up of a ‘G7 Alliance of Resource Efficiency’. The aim of this alliance is to promote exchange of best practices and innovation, together with businesses and other stakeholders.
More concretely, a series of workshops will be organised under the Alliance on a range of topics, at least one workshop per year. The topics include:
- Life-cycle-based decision-making tools, data, concepts, and methodologies of resource efficiency;
- Sustainable products and purchasing, green public procurement, local supply chains and the integration of resource efficiency into decision-making in government agencies;
- Circular economies, eco-design, sharing economies and remanufacturing.
The declaration also includes a section on the Protection of the Marine Environment, focusing on marine litter. In this regard, the G7 commits to take action to address this problem, targeting both land- and sea based sources as well as removal actions. The priority actions for land based sources include improving waste management systems, encouraging waste reduction as well as reuse and recycling. Also, to encourage industry to develop sustainable packaging as well as incentives to reduce the use of single-use items. Deposit schemes are mentioned, but only in the context of reducing waste items from the fishing industry.
Please find the G7 final declaration here. More detailed information can be also found in the annex to the declaration, available here.