International Resource Panel (IRP)

The International Resource Panel (IRP) is a global science-policy platform established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2007 to build and share the knowledge needed to improve our use of natural resources. The Panel consists of more than 33 eminent scientists drawn from a wide range of academic institutions and scientific disciplines, supported by a small Secretariat hosted by UNEP in Paris. It is co-chaired by Janez Potočnik, former European Commissioner for the Environment, and Izabella Teixeira, former Environment Minister of Brazil. Its Steering Committee has 28 governments, the European Commission, and UNEP. The Panel’s mission is to: - Provide independent, coherent and authoritative scientific assessments of policy relevance on the sustainable use of natural resources and, in particular, their environmental impacts over the full life cycle. - Contribute to a better understanding of how to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation while enhancing human well-being.