Sustainable use of natural resources
ACE members are using natural, renewable resources. However, natural resources will remain renewable if they are responsibly managed. Having third-party verification that all wood fibres used in beverage cartons are traceable sources is a key element of ACE’s forestry strategy.
Following the call of the 6th Environmental Action programme (2002-2012) to tackle the issue of resources, at the end of 2005 the European Commission proposed a Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources to respond to concerns over the sustainability of key natural resources and potential environmental damage caused during their usage.
ACE’s position on sustainable use of natural resources
Welcomed by ACE, the objective of this Strategy was to reduce the environmental impacts associated with resource use, to do so in a growing economy, and to develop tools to monitor and report progress in the EU, Member States and economic sectors.
The Strategy suggested the development of national measures and programmes by Member States, and of sectoral initiatives by stakeholders, to promote an eco-efficient use of natural resources, innovation and competitiveness.
It also includes the development of indicators to measure resource productivity, resource-specific indicators and eco-efficiency indicators. For ACE, the focus on a life cycle approach is particularly welcome and is consistent with the need to take a more holistic viewpoint to the use of resources. Allied to this approach is the need to have more and better information on resource flows into and within the European Union.
Originally, the Commission aimed at agreeing on a measurement system and related indicators by the end of 2008; however, this process is still ongoing. A revision of the Thematic Strategy by the European Commission is foreseen in 2010 or 2011.
Read more about the renewable resources that are used to produce the beverage cartons.
Read more about ACE’s position paper on Sustainable Use of Natural Resources