EU plans measures to curb demand for natural resources

EurActiv - Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik yesterday announced that he is preparing new measures for 2011 to reflect the true cost of natural resources in products and services and substitute virgin raw materials for waste wherever possible. Potočnik said the EU executive would be looking for policies that "create the economic conditions that will incentivise reduction in the demand for natural resources" by adopting a life-cycle approach (LCA) to measuring the environmental footprint of products and services.

LCA is used to measure the environmental impact of products throughout their life-cycles, from raw material extraction and production to consumption, reuse and final disposal. The commissioner hopes to mainstream resource efficiency "in all sectors of the economy". The process will be accompanied by "the right integrated guidelines and monitoring and guidance mechanisms" at national level, he added.