At a time when geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions and intensifying climate impacts are exposing the fragility of global supply chains, questions of resource security have moved to the centre of political and economic decision-making. Critical raw materials are becoming strategic assets, competition over access to resources is increasing, and governments are seeking ways to strengthen their resilience. Against this backdrop, the work of the International Resource Panel (IRP) has never been more relevant. The panel is part of the United Nations Environmental Programme. Its scientific assessments provide the evidence base for understanding how the world's growing demand for materials, energy, water and land shapes environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and human well-being.

These themes framed the 35th Meeting of the International Resource Panel, held in Berlin from 8 to 12 June 2026. Hosted by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the meeting brought together leading international scientists, policymakers and experts to advance the panel's ambitious 2026–2029 work programme.

Mandy Hinzmann joined the meeting as an observer and supported the German delegation as part of the project "Resource Efficiency and Natural Resources in an International Context". In various scientific sessions and technical workshops, participants exchanged insights on current research and discussed priorities for sustainable resources. The aim was to advance the scientific evidence base needed to support informed policymaking on global resource challenges.

Highlights included scientific debates on:

• Which human development pathways can decouple wellbeing from material consumption?
• Which policies are needed to distribute resources fairly across and within countries? 
• How can societies secure the supply of critical raw materials needed for decarbonisation without creating new environmental and social pressures?
• How can societies better measure their progress towards a more circular economy and sustainable resource use?

While many of these questions remain the subject of ongoing scientific and policy debate, it became clear that resource policies need to address existing social inequalities. Furthermore, the discussions highlighted that enhancing human well-being requires global resource consumption to remain within a safe operating space and not exceed planetary boundaries.  

The meeting showed that the work of the International Resource Panel is highly valued and needed. It provides a robust scientific foundation for understanding global resource use and its environmental, economic and social implications in an increasingly complex global context.