Presented at the Urban Journalism Academy, 18 January 2018

1. Dr. Abhijit Banerjee
United Nations (New Delhi)
Urban Journalism Academy (WUF9)
18 January 2018, New Delhi
The Resource Dimension in Urban
Sustainability: Indian Context

2. Natural Resource Sustainability Challenges
Natural Resource
Extraction, Use
and Disposal
Pollution
(air, water, etc.)
Climate change
(from fossil energy
use)
Ecosystem
destruction
Biodiversity loss
Depletion
Shortages, price
shocks
Import dependence
Economic insecurity
Conflict over access
Environmental
Challenges
Socio-economic
Challenges

3. NATURAL
RESOURCE
SUSTAINABILITY
Reduce
Substitute
Resource Efficiency
Circular Economy
Create more with less
Non-renewables with
renewables;
Scarce with abundant;
More destructive
(extraction)
with less destructive
Use fewer goods and
services
(wherever possible)
Reuse and recycle
“Decoupling”

4. Circular Economy
Moving from “extract-make-use-throw” model to utilizing waste as secondary raw material
helps to reduce extraction of primary (virgin) raw material and associated environmental
impacts (including GHG emissions)
“A circular economy path has the potential to add Euro 1.8 trillion net benefit to the
EU by 2030.”
- EMF, SUN and McKinsey. (2015). Growth Within: A Circular Economy Vision for a Competitive Europe.

5. India’s future material demand projections under 3 scenarios
Material consumption in India,
1970-2010
India’s material consumption growing sharply
Since 1970, 5x (population
only 2x)
Even under current dynamic, material demand will grow 5x
by 2050!
Sources:
UNEP-IRP. (2016). Global Material Flows and Resource Productivity. United Nations Environment Programme – International Resource Panel.
IGEP. (2013). India’s Future Needs for Resources: Dimensions, Challenges and Possible Solutions. Indo-German Environment Partnership. New Delhi: GIZ-India.

6. Increased domestic extraction or increased
imports?
In 2011, mineral imports cost USD
160 billion
Geo-political risk
Extraction intensity (tons/km2)
already highest in the world
Population density highest among
major countries
Mineral deposits associated with
forest areas
Sources:
Environmental Atlas of India, 2001. Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
Centre for Science and Environment, 2008. Rich Lands, Poor People: Is Sustainable Mining Possible? Sixth Citizen’s Report
on the State of India’s Environment. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.
IGEP. (2013). India’s Future Needs for Resources: Dimensions, Challenges and Possible Solutions. Indo-German
Environment Partnership. New Delhi: GIZ-India.

7. Urban Mining
C&D MSW E-waste
ELV
Waste
to
Organi
c
Waste
to
Energy
Waste
to
Materi
al
Reuse Landfill

8. Urban Waste Stream Trends in India
Waste Stream Current
Generation
Projection % diverted/
recycled
Municipal Solid
Waste1
68 million tons/year
> 200 million tons by
2040
Less than 10% (of
collected waste)
C&D waste2 10-15 million tons/
year
5x by 2030? 10-30% (often for
illegal/harmful uses)
E-waste3 1.8 million tons/year 5.2 million tons/year
by 2020
2%
End-of-Life Vehicles4 8.7 million 21.8 million by 2025 Less than 10%
Sources:
1 Columbia University, 2012. Sustainable Solid Waste Management in India. Available at:
http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/wtert/sofos/Sustainable%20Solid%20Waste%20Management%20in%20India_Final.pdf
2 CSE, 2014. Construction and Demolition Waste Policy Brief. Available at: http://www.cseindia.org/userfiles/Construction-and%20-demolition-waste.pdf
3 Assocham, 2016. E-waste Management in India. Available at: http://www.assocham.org/newsdetail.php?id=5725
4 CPCB and GIZ, 2015. Analysis of ELVs Sector in India. Available at:
http://cpcb.nic.in/openpdffile.php?id=TGF0ZXN0RmlsZS9MYXRlc3RfMTE0X0FuYWx5c2lzT2ZFTFZzSW5JbmRpYTFfLnBkZg==

9. Challenges in Waste Management in India
Lack of data
Dominance of informal sector
Lack of proper land use planning
Lack of capacity and resources at municipal level

10. Recent Successes and Encouraging Trends
Waste Stream Success/Positive Trend
MSW Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
Manual on SWM by MoUD (2016):
http://cpheeo.nic.in/SolidWasteManagement2016.htm
Swachh Bharat Mission funding and targets
Swachh Bharat Survey: http://www.swachh-survekshan.in/
C&D waste C&D Waste Management Rules, 2016 (3 year targets)
Delhi and Ahmedabad operating successful plants:
https://www.ilfsindia.com/our-work/environment/construction-demolition-waste-recycling/
Buyback of C&D derived products by Delhi/Ahmedabad
MoEFCC and GIZ Manual for C&D Waste Management:
http://re.urban-industrial.in/live/hrdpmp/hrdpmaster/igep/content/e64918/e64922/e67075/e67087/
GIZ_CD_eTrainingManual.pdf
E- waste E-waste Management Rules, 2016
Extended Producer Responsibility mandate
Producer Responsibility Organization: http://karosambhav.com/
ELVs Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of ELVs (CPCB,
2015)
NATRIP pilot facility, Chennai: http://www.natrip.in/
First commercial facility (JV with Mahindra) in 2018

11. SDGs and Urban Resources
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and
Communities
- 11.3 Land use efficiency
- 11.6 Waste management/recycling
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and
Production
- 12.2 Material Footprint/Domestic Material
Consumption
- 12.5 National Recycling Rate
- 12.7 Public Procurement Policies

12. Acknowledgements
Contact: abhijit.banerjee@one.un.org

13. The
Circular Economy
in the
Asia Pacific Region
www.circularecconomyasia.org