The century of material stockpiling: 23-fold increase in material stocks in buildings and infrastructure drives resource consumption

A team of researchers led by scientists from the Institute of Social Ecology at AAU has recently presented the first global estimate of the volume of natural resources accumulated in buildings and infrastructure. According to their calculations, global in-use stocks of materials rose 23-fold between 1900 and 2010, harboring long-term consequences for loop closure and emissions.