Research

There is increasing scientific evidence that current resource consumption patterns in industrialised societies are unsustainable, contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion (Richardson et al., 2023). In addition, the competition for resources is a primary driver of conflicts, posing significant security risks as demands intensify across industrialised and emerging economies (UNEP 2024; Zhou and Manberger 2024). Several studies highlight that perceptions of EU policies in resource-exporting countries are complex an mixed. While the EU is recognized as an important trading partner, there is significant criticism about various aspects of EU trade and climate policies that are seen as disadvantageous to their economic interests and development goals. Hence, as also confirmed by EU officials in the preparatory workshop, there is an urgent need for the EU to better understand and engage with perspectives from the Global South to improve its credibility and positive impact. Addressing these challenges is even more difficult due to the limited analysis to date on the quantitative effect of the EU’s decarbonisation and circular-economy strategies regarding (1) how possible pathways in the EU change raw material demands and related GHG emissions; (2) how these different changes in raw material demand alter supply chains, trade partners and traded materials; (3) and how these shifts influence social, economic and environmental conditions in resource-exporting countries, from the perspective of affected communities and government institutions; (4) the potential role of EU policies in fostering responsible partnerships and supporting just transitions in these countries. CIRCEUS aims to bridge this gap by, for the first time, providing quantitative evidence on how the EU’s decarbonisation and circular economy strategies impact its demand for raw materials and subsequently its imports. This evidence will generate new scientific insights and provide a basis for a more informed debate about transformation pathways in the EU that support equitable outcomes in resource-exporting countries including their local and indigenous communities affected by resource exploitation, recognizing the need to balance resource demands with social and environmental considerations, and to aim for cooperation rather than competition.

The issues of climate change, dematerialization, and the circular economy have become important components of the political agenda, including the Smart City Vienna Framework Strategy 2019-2050, which defines resource conservation as one of its three main goals and aims to reduce the city's GHG emissions, energy consumption, and material footprint. But how sustainable is Vienna's urban metabolism at present? To answer this question, a study entitled “CO2 and Material Footprint for Vienna – An Analysis of Sustainable Resource Use in Vienna against the Background of the Reduction Targets in the Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna” was conducted in 2022 by BOKU Vienna, TU Vienna, and WU Vienna on behalf of the City of Vienna (Department of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Statistics). In MOCAM #2, the material-related indicators (material consumption, material footprint, material productivity) of the pilot study are now being updated. The updated indicators from MOCAM #2 will be incorporated into two policy documents of the City of Vienna, namely the update of the Vienna Climate Roadmap and the monitoring of the Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna 2022.

The aim of this project is to calculate daily average time use activities and the carbon footprint of these activities. We analyse the differences in time use and carbon footprint for persons with and without care responsibilities. A particular focus is on people who care for adulty in need of care. We compare and discuss the resulting climate impact and the connection with health or illness effects.