Sustainable Bristol

Industry in the face of future resource scarcity

Posted on 18 May 2011

The Bristol based Schumacher Institute is spearheading European research into the impacts on industry and business of future resource scarcity. The CONVERGE research project includes a series of Rethinking Globalisation seminars.

The first seminar launching this series will be on May 25th in Bristol (13:00 – 16:00) with a keynote session from Harald Sverdrup - professor of Chemical engineering at Lund University in Sweden - on the latest research into resource burn-off rates, and how they may affect industry in Europe.

The seminar will look at how some resources may be substituted and look at some examples of companies who have dealt with changes to their access to resources. The seminar will end with a discussion session on the impacts this could have on industry here in Bristol in the future and on opportunities for partnership and further research.

Schumacher hope this seminar will start a Bristol-wide conversation on the impacts of resource scarcity on our city through the lens of convergence (equity within planetary limits) with a focus on using systems science to explore potential for future proofing the vitality of industry in this city-region.

The CONVERGE project is an interdisciplinary research project funded by the European Union, that recognises that resources are not equally distributed, and that the annual draw-down of many resources exceeds the capacity of the planet to supply them. The project is exploring the concept of equity in the light of biological planetary limits – with regards to the various sustainability challenges and positive sustainability initiatives the world is witnessing.

Space at the launch Bristol seminar is limited so please email julia@schumacherinstitute.org.uk to reserve a free place.