The Resource Nexus and Resource Efficiency: What a Nexus Perspective Adds to the Story

This chapter addresses the resource nexus, a concept that has recently become quite popular. It is often framed as a water-energy-food nexus and discussed at international organisations, within infrastructure planning units and among actors on the ground concerned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The chapter seeks to clarify a common understanding of what the concept entails and proposes an augmented five-node nexus, which includes materials and land. We define the nexus as a set of context-specific interlinkages between critical natural resources used as inputs into socio-economic systems of provision. Furthermore, we discuss how the nexus fits into the narratives of resource efficiency and eco-innovation. The chapter argues in favour of the complementary strengths of both and gives an outlook on governance options.