The SHAPE project aims to create scientific visions of how humanity can achieve a good quality of life for everyone while safeguarding our planet. The project is inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The UN established these goals to unite actors around the world to create an environmentally and socially sustainable society. Unfortunately, we are likely to miss many of the goals. SHAPE wants to help change this. A critical aspect is tension between development on the one hand and environmental protection on the other. How can we ensure a fair development for all, while halting ecosystem destruction? The project will provide insight into possible ways to realize the goals, trade-off among the goals, and actions necessary now to realize such scenarios. By proposing three narratives for alternative sustainable development pathways, the project will consider the necessary changes in public policy and the way we produce and consume on goods required.
The production of materials causes 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced material use presents opportunities to reduce both emissions and other environmental impacts. Integrated assessment models used to develop sustainability scenarios do not model the relation between growth in building stock and the materials of buildings, or economic growth and the metals needed to produce machinery, equipment, or vessels. NTNU is working to assess the impacts of the development pathways on material use and associated emissions, and to include the possible contribution from material efficiency and circular economy to the realization of sustainability goals.