Different perspectives on natural resources management – from the politics, private sector and civil society arenas – were discussed in the seminar on "Resource Policy and Resource Justice" that took place in Berlin on 23 November 2009. Organized by World Economy, Ecology and Development (WEED) as a crash course, the discussion involving about 50 participants from civil society and political institutions focused on the positions of different non-governmental organizations on strategies of natural resource management. The crash course addressed all the significant aspects of natural resource policy – the economy, security, development and the environment.



The participants demanded greater social and environmental responsibility, transparency and conflict sensitivity. Environmental organizations for example advocated de-linking quality of life from resource use, thus arriving at a new definition of prosperity. In this context Tilman Santarius presented the integrated resource conservation approach of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, which seeks to limit natural resource consumption through efficiency (improved energy balance), consistency (switching over to renewable energies) and sufficiency (self-limitation).



Seminar speakers also critically evaluated the work of their organizations: NGOs have so far omitted paying adequate attention to trade and investment policy and also to the link between natural resources and climate change. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the tightly packed agenda, the debate remained largely at a superficial level. A more in-depth discussion about existing and potential instruments of an alternative natural resource policy could not take place. Although this was not the specific purpose of the course, an opportunity to discuss these issues with many activists of various civil society groups has been missed. (Meike Westerkamp)

More details about the seminar are available at http://www.weed-online.org/themen//3077909.html

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, December 2009