Conference Subtopics

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY &

ECONOMIC GROWTH
using the Earth's limited resources in a
sustainable (and profitable) manner while
minimising impacts on the environment
The Circular Economy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRKvDyyHmI

economic system of closed

loops in which raw materials
and resources maintain their
value as much as possible

-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

-Zero/Minimal waste
-Still making money
Examples of circular economy solutions around
the world:

-Reducing factory waste in China (saving money

and reducing pollution)
-Reusing construction equipment in Scotland
(saving almost 1 billion dollars to economy)
-Using plastic waste to create jobs in Burkina
Faso (https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/weaving-
brighter-future-plastic-burkina-faso)

What is one thing YOU can do to contribute to

the circular economy?
HOMEWORK
Due next class (MONDAY)

Read one article that is related to the topic of RESOURCE

EFFICIENCY

You may choose any article that is:

Written in ENGLISH

From a reliable source (a newspaper, a government

organization, the UN, etc.)

IN YOUR OWN WORDS,

write a summary of the article (3-5 sentences)
Practice Debate

Topic:

Are ghosts real?

OR
Can a Halloween costume be offensive?

Roll Call
Speaker’s List
Moderated Caucus
Unmoderated Caucus
Resource Efficiency Article Summaries

1. Speaker’s List (time of 45 seconds)

2. Points of Information (1 per speaker)

Remember:
“Honorable Chair and Fellow Delegates”
“I yield my time to…”
 United Nations
Environment Programme
(UNEP)
Questions about countries? Research?

Starting Monday:

Be ready to talk for 1 minute about your

country. Tell us one or two interesting things
you are finding in your research!
UNEP

-The UN agency that handles all issues

relating to the environment

-Mandate (job) is to “provide guidance to the

world on environmental issues and assist with
environmental best practices across the UN”

-sets the global environmental agenda and

helps countries to implement environmental
policies
7 theme areas

 Climate change
 Ecosystem management
 Disasters and conflict
 Chemicals and waste
 Environmental governance
 Environment under review
 Resource efficiency
 Questions to consider when researching
your country
What UNEP conventions and treaties has my country been a part of? (example: The Vienna
Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol)

How has my country followed the goals set out by the UNEP?
“The delegation of __________ supports the goals set out by the UNEP by….”

 What Sustainable Development Goals are important to the

UNEP and my country?
 Goal #7 (Affordable and clean energy)
 Goal #11 (Sustainable cities and communities)
 Goal #12 (Sustainable consumption and production)
Topic Subtopics cont.
 Sustainable agriculture
 The circular economy
 Urbanization
Urbanization:

The expansion of urban

areas as population
grows

Movement of people
from farmland to cities
and towns
Pros & Cons
 More opportunity for
residents
 Higher paying jobs
 Access to better schools,
healthcare and trade
 Culture
 Less agriculture
 More crime and poverty
 Pollution
 Unemployment
 Higher housing prices
Urbanization Statistics
 Half of the global population already lives in cities, and by
2050 68% of the world's people are expected to live
in urban areas
 Cities are responsible for 75% of global energy
consumption and are expected to consume 90 billion tons
of materials in 2050
 Cities account for 75% of carbon dioxide emissions
 By 2030, the world is projected to have 43 megacities
with more than 10 million inhabitants, most of them in
developing regions
Example: The Urbanization of Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar)
Transition from herding to mining and manufacturing has caused people to lose
their jobs and move into the city.
In 2000: 55% of the population lives in an urban area
In 2018: Over 67% of the population lives in urban areas
Problems with Urbanization in Mongolia

 The homes that people have set up are heated with wood
or coal and when those are burned it causes air pollution
 The air in the capital city is the most polluted in the
world
 There is no infrastructure to support so many people: no
access to electricity, paved roads and sewers
Responses

 The mayor halted the construction of new settlements by

prohibiting the expansion of electrical lines and water
pipelines

 This led to: rise of unregistered inhabitants, who cannot

access access basic social services such as education and
health care
What can be done about this problem?

-More education to prevent overpopulation

-Build sustainable cities (renewable energy,

green travel)

-Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use

and alternative transport systems

-Combat poverty by promoting economic

development and job creation
Let’s debate about urbanization!
Urbanization is a negative thing
We should stop urbanization
by prohibiting immigration to
big cities
Rivas is not affected by
urbanization
We should stop
overpopulation by limiting
the number of children
families can have