Note: Intro -- Foreword -- Contents -- Part I: Challenges -- Chapter 1: Factor X - 25 Years - "Factor X Concept" Is Essential for Achieving Sustainable Development -- 1.1 The Beginning - A Systemic Approach to "Earth Systems Policy" -- 1.2 How Big Is the X? - "An Eco Safety Factor" -- 1.3 Today's Options - Rethink, Redesign, Refuse, Repair, Reduce, Remanufacture, Reuse, Remodel, Recycle, Recover and Increase the Lifetime of Products -- 1.4 Tomorrow - Urgent Policy Mix for "System Earth" -- 1.4.1 Some Indispensable Elements of a Policy Mix Are -- 1.4.2 Happiness, a New Leitmotif -- References -- Chapter 2: Necessities for a Resource Efficient Europe -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Europe's Share -- 2.2.1 Measuring Our Consumption: Key for Decision Making -- 2.2.2 What Is the European Commission Doing? -- 2.2.3 A New Framework for Europe: The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda -- 2.2.4 Time to Go Beyond Resource Efficiency -- 2.3 Tackling the Root Causes of Overconsumption -- 2.3.1 Governance -- 2.3.2 Financial Tools -- 2.3.2.1 Stop Harmful Subsidies and Tax the Bads, Not the Goods -- 2.3.2.2 Public Money Versus Private Money -- 2.3.3 Money Makes the World Go Down -- 2.3.4 Social Innovation and Behaviour Change -- 2.3.5 Other Business Models -- 2.3.6 Legal and Regulatory Frameworks -- 2.4 Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3: Global Megatrends and Resource Use - A Systemic Reflection -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 The Root Cause of Observed Megatrends -- 3.3 Megatrends from 2015 and Beyond -- 3.4 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 4: Data, Indicators and Targets for Comprehensive Resource Policies -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Resource Accounting and Modelling Methodologies -- 4.2.1 Resource Accounting -- 4.2.2 Methodologies to Calculate Upstream Resource Flows and Footprints -- 4.2.2.1 Bottom-Up Approaches -- 4.2.2.2 Top-Down Approaches. , 4.2.2.3 Mixed Approaches -- 4.2.2.4 Calculations Based on Physical and/or Monetary Units -- 4.3 Empirical Trends -- 4.4 Decoupling -- 4.5 Requirements and Outlook -- 4.6 Targets for Sustainable Resource Use? -- References -- Chapter 5: The Critical Raw Materials Concept: Subjective, Multifactorial and Ever-Developing -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Methods of Criticality Analysis -- 5.3 Criticality Analysis According to VDI 4800 II -- 5.3.1 Supply Risk: Geological, Technical and Structural Criteria -- 5.3.1.1 Static Lifetime -- 5.3.1.2 Co-production/Auxiliary Production -- 5.3.1.3 Recycling -- 5.3.1.4 Logistical Restrictions -- 5.3.1.5 Restrictions Imposed by Natural Phenomena -- 5.3.2 Supply Risk: Geopolitical and Regulatory Criteria -- 5.3.2.1 Concentration of Reserves by Country -- 5.3.2.2 Concentration of Production by Country -- 5.3.2.3 Geopolitical Risks of Global Production -- 5.3.2.4 Regulatory Situation for Raw Material Projects -- 5.3.3 Supply Risk: Economic Criteria -- 5.3.3.1 Enterprise Concentration of Global Production -- 5.3.3.2 Global Demand Impulse -- 5.3.3.3 Substitutability -- 5.3.3.4 Raw Material Price Volatility -- 5.3.4 Interpretation of the Results Using Phosphate as a Case Study -- 5.3.4.1 Vulnerability -- 5.3.4.2 Supply Risk -- 5.3.4.3 Interpretation -- 5.4 Further Development of the Environmental Dimension -- 5.4.1 Environmental Aspects - Why Should They Be Taken into Account? The Environmental Availability of Raw Materials -- 5.4.2 Environmental Aspects - How Should They Be Taken into Account? The ÖkoRess Methodology for Environmental Hazard Potentials -- 5.4.3 Aggregation/Merger -- 5.5 Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 6: Equitable, Just Access to Natural Resources: Environmental Narratives during Worsening Climate Crises -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Intersectional Climate Politics -- 6.3 Climate Justice Contested. , 6.4 The Wider Terrain of Struggle: Neoliberal Nature -- 6.5 The Scorched Earth of Sustainable Development Narratives -- 6.6 Conclusion: From Duelling Narratives to Practical Fusions -- References -- Part II: Implementation Strategies -- Chapter 7: Circular Economy: Origins and Future Orientations -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Background and Concepts -- 7.2.1 Origins -- 7.2.2 Conceptual Underpinnings -- 7.2.3 Organisational Articulations of the Circular Economy -- 7.3 Circular Economy Principles and Expected Benefits -- 7.4 National Circular Economy Strategies -- 7.4.1 China's Circular Economy Initiatives -- 7.4.2 The European Union's Circular Economy Package -- 7.4.3 The Dutch Circular Economy Programme -- 7.4.4 A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland -- 7.4.5 The Finnish Circular Economy Roadmap -- 7.5 Circular Economy in Business -- 7.6 Assessing the Impacts of Circular Economy -- 7.7 Future Trends in Circular Economy -- 7.8 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 8: Financial System, and Energy and Resource Husbandry -- 8.1 Introduction: Investment Criteria and the Variety of Resource Plays -- 8.2 Fossil Energy Resources with Few Options for Circular Management -- 8.3 Circular Management of Mineral Resources: Metals, Metalloids, Non-metals -- 8.4 Implications of the Unstoppable Shift Out of Fossil Energy Resources -- 8.5 Financial, Economic and Trade Impact of Phasing Out Fossil Resources -- 8.5.1 Impact on Export, Trade and Import of Various Resources and Materials -- 8.5.2 Impact on Investment, the Economy (GDP), Tax Revenue and Subsidies -- 8.5.3 Value Creation from Electrification and an Economic Paradox -- 8.6 Criteria for Resource Husbandry and Circular Economy in Finance -- 8.6.1 Criteria for Resource and Material Flow -- 8.6.2 Criteria for Product Stewardship, Reuse and Recycling -- 8.7 Conclusion -- References. , Chapter 9: Developing Resource Competence - Anchoring Resource Conservation and Efficiency in the German Education System -- 9.1 Resource Education: Initial Situation and Problem Context -- 9.2 Education in Resource Conservation and Efficiency: Where Do We Stand Now? An Inventory -- 9.3 The Status Quo in the Four Educational Areas of School, Vocational Training, Professional Development, and University -- 9.4 BilRess-Roadmap: Perspectives Spanning the Educational Areas -- 9.4.1 Information, Sensitisation, and Activation -- 9.4.2 Supporting Teachers and Students -- 9.4.3 Creating Incentives for Projects and Research -- 9.4.4 Encouraging Formal Anchoring in the Education System -- 9.5 Recommendations for Action -- 9.6 BilRess-Network -- 9.7 Outlook -- References -- Chapter 10: The Way from Problem Scope Towards the Vision of a Low Resource Society - The First Working Period of the Resources Commission at the German Environment Agency (KRU) -- 10.1 Political Background and Aims of the Resources Commission at the German Environment Agency (KRU) -- 10.2 Low Resource Lifestyles and Economy -- 10.3 Developing Visions - Making Ideas Transparent -- 10.3.1 Ethical Framework -- 10.3.2 Research and Development -- 10.3.3 Role of the State -- 10.3.4 Economy and Finance -- 10.4 Initial Explorations and Starting Points - Contribution to the Discussion in Search for the Best Solutions -- 10.4.1 Requirements for a Law Governing Resource Conservation - Focus on a 'Resource Conservation Act' -- 10.4.2 Production, Processes, Services - Focus on Product Labelling -- 10.4.3 Scenarios for a Low Resource Society and Economy -- 10.4.4 Transferring R& -- D into Economic Practice -- 10.4.5 Research and Development -- 10.5 Outlook -- References -- Chapter 11: Implementing Resource Efficiency in Europe - Overview of Policies, Instruments and Targets in 32 European Countries. , 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Driving Forces for Material Resource Efficiency -- 11.3 Priority Resources and Sectors -- 11.4 National Strategies and Policies Related to Material use and Resource Efficiency -- 11.5 Policy Objectives -- 11.6 Closing Material Loops in a Circular Economy -- 11.7 Indicators -- 11.8 Targets -- 11.9 Institutional Set-up -- 11.10 In Conclusion -- Reference -- Chapter 12: The Resource Nexus and Resource Efficiency: What a Nexus Perspective Adds to the Story -- 12.1 The Challenge of the Resource Nexus -- 12.1.1 Definition and Scope of the Nexus -- 12.1.2 The Relevance of the Nexus -- 12.2 Eco-Innovation to Address the Nexus Challenges -- 12.2.1 Nexus and Eco-Innovation Opportunities -- 12.2.2 Energy Transitions -- 12.2.3 Implementing the SDGs -- 12.3 What Can Policy Makers/Business/Other Stakeholders Do? -- 12.3.1 Improving Evidence Base and Policy Learning -- 12.3.2 Shared Understanding of the Nexus Challenges and Key Projects -- 12.3.3 Leadership, Participation and Shared Visions of the Future -- 12.3.4 Short - and Long-Term Scenarios and Transition Roadmaps -- 12.3.5 Systemic Policy for Nexus System Innovations -- 12.3.6 Governance for Nexus Innovations -- 12.4 Outlook -- References -- Chapter 13: Germany's Resource Efficiency Agenda: Driving Momentum on the National Level and Beyond -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 The G7 Is Backing Resource Efficiency -- 13.3 Slow Progress in Europe-Impacts Germany Too -- 13.4 Our Activities in Germany -- 13.5 The Main Features of ProgRess II -- 13.5.1 Addressing Energy Resources More Precisely -- 13.5.2 The Building Industry Is One of the Top Priorities -- 13.5.3 Focus on Information and Communication Technologies -- 13.5.4 New Indicators and Targets for 2030 -- 13.6 Future Prospects and Insights -- References. , Chapter 14: Results of Three Cost-Effective, Innovative and Transferable Resource-Efficiency Instruments for Industries in the Basque Country.