UN Links Consumption to Climate Change Surge
A new United Nations report finds that consumption patterns are a primary driver of climate change, with resource extraction projected to rise sharply by 2060.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Environmental
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A new United Nations report identifies consumption patterns as a primary driver of climate change. The UN Environment Programme warned that natural resource extraction could increase about 60 percent above 2020 levels by 2060.
Why it matters
Global resource extraction has already tripled since 1970, and the report argues that the environmental costs of production, transport and waste are largely invisible to consumers. Understanding these hidden costs is central to any effort to slow emissions worldwide.
The UN report projects that natural resource extraction could rise about 60 percent above 2020 levels by 2060 if current trends are not reversed, after tripling since 1970. The source does not detail the sectoral or regional breakdown behind this projection.
The players
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The UN agency responsible for coordinating environmental action across the United Nations system, which warned that extraction could rise sharply by 2060.
The details
The report says the environmental cost of consumption extends beyond production to waste management and global supply chains, with impacts varying by income and consumption level. It notes that the price of new garments and electrical appliances does not reflect their full environmental cost, and that emissions tied to production may not appear in the national statistics of the consumer's country.
Timeline
1970: Global resource extraction begins a period of tripling growth.
2020: Baseline year used for the projected 60 percent increase in extraction.
2060: Projected year by which extraction could reach about 60 percent above 2020 levels if trends continue.
Roadmap
The report extends the documented tripling of global resource extraction since 1970 into a 2060 projection, shifting the policy focus from production alone to consumption patterns. It frames demand-side behavior as a central lever alongside the supply-side measures that have dominated climate policy.
The report's findings point to purchasing decisions as a lever on environmental cost, since the price of new garments and electrical appliances does not currently reflect their full impact. Consumers may find the hidden costs of water, energy, land and waste increasingly relevant to everyday buying choices.
The takeaway
Consumers and policymakers both have a role in reducing hidden environmental costs, since emissions tied to production often fall outside the consumer's national accounts. Reading product labels and considering lifetime costs of purchases can make these impacts more visible.
Further reading
For related coverage of how consumption shapes environmental outcomes, see Environmental reporting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ABC Nepal TV.
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