The primary cause of the environmental problems, the globe is facing, is a considerable growth in global consumption over the last decades. The population explosion and growing per capita consumption have both contributed to this. And global consumption will continue to grow in the coming decades.
     Resource productivity (eco-efficiency) must be radically improved in the decades to come in order to avoid, that the ongoing growth in global consumption will lead to environmental disaster. Improving resource productivity means using fewer natural resources per unit of consumption - to do more with less. This reduces the impact on the environment from consumption
     How much should resource productivity grow? That depends on the growth in consumption expected. Make your own estmate using the Global Consumption Growth Calculator below.

• How Resource Productivity is increased

• Why Resource Productivity must be increased

• The Paul Ehrlich Equation I = P * A * T

•  New York Times Article on global consumption - January 2008

Global Consumption Growth Calculator

• The Basic Calculator

• Supplementary Calculator for sensivity analyses

• Calculating Zero Growth scenarios - Basic Calculator

• Calculating Zero Growth scenarios - Advanced Calculator

• Global Consumption under Population Reduction Scenarios

• The Purpose of the calculators

• See a Powerpoint Presentation by Ernst von Weizsäcker, University of California