Thoroughly describes the coming collision as a growing, demanding population faces the depletion of earth's natural resources

Offers practical recommendations and develops proposals to improve resource efficiency

Benefits researchers, policy makers and politicians working on resource efficiency and sustainable resource use

Introduction.- PART I: Limits to Resource Use.- 1. The Limits of Resource Use and their Economic and Policy Implications.- 2. The Availability of Fossil Energy Resources.- PART II: Goals and Potentials for a Sustainable Use of Resources.- 3. Targets for Global Resource Consumption.- 4. Sustainable Land Use - Example: Land take for Settlement and Transport in Germany.- 5. The Need for Decarbonising Our Economy.- 6. Strategies for Enhancing Resource Efficiency.- 7. Macroeconomic Impacts of Efficient Resource Use.- PART III: Strategies and Policies for a Sustainable Use of Resources.- 8. The Challenge Of The Whole: Creating System Policies To Tackle Sustainability.- 9. Changing the Priorities: From Labour Productivity to the Efficiency in the Use of Resources.- 10. Establishing and Strengthening Markets for Resource Efficient Products and Services.- 11. Business Models for Material Efficiency Services.- 12. Requirements of an International Natural Resource Policy.- 13. Innovations for a Sustainable Resource Use - Reflections and Proposals.- PART IV: Proposals for Implementation.- 14. Reducing Resource Consumption - A Proposal for Global Resource and Environmental Policy.- 15. Towards a More Sustainable Use of Resources: A View from the World Resources Forum.- 16. From Resource Efficiency to Responsible and Dematerialized Societies.- 17. About the Need of Resource Efficiency Programs: The Editors' View.- Index.