China and the European Union (EU) are the world’s largest importers of natural resources. They will rely on imports for 80 per cent of their oil supply by 2030, mainly from the Middle East and Russia. Chinese growth over the past decade has transformed global resource markets, driving up prices and raising fear about the impacts of resource scarcity and the environmental sustainability of production. Competition for resources such as Russian gas also makes EU sanctions against Russia less effective. The EU and China are also vulnerable to climate change, and both have experienced a rise in extreme weather events in recent years.

Contents

Summary 

Introduction 

China and the New Resource Landscape 

Shaping the Future Resources Sustainability Nexus 

Understanding the Conditions for Advancing Climate Change Policy 

Revisiting the EU–China Resource and Sustainability Agenda 

Conclusion