SDG #12 is to “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”
Within SDG #12 are 11 targets, of which we here focus on Target 12.2:
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
Target 12.2 has two indicators:
Indicator 12.2.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
Indicator 12.2.2: Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
Domestic material consumption means all the materials used by an economy. The material flow accounting used to measure these flows captures the extraction of natural resources. It follows its path onto the resource's later trade, eventual disposal, and any related emissions.
As of 2019, the global material footprint per capita is 12 tonnes, unchanged since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015. This is equal to a kilogram of material footprint per dollar of economic output worldwide, also little changed since 2015.
The worst performers for domestic material consumption per capita as of 2019 are Canada, Chile, and Mongolia. Each of these countries consumed 50-60 tonnes of materials. Measuring the efficiency of material use per dollar created in the economy, the worst performer was Somalia. It consumed 33 kg of materials per dollar of GDP, though its per capita consumption was among the lowest.
