Welcome to the Research Group
Global Resource Use
Who we are
The research group "Global Resource Use" (GRU) is part of the Institute for Ecological Economics of the WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. We are one of the leading groups worldwide in quantifying and modelling society's use of natural resources – especially raw materials, land, and water – and its consequences.
Our research group develops innovative methods to assess resource flows along international supply chains. This allows us to trace commodities and related environmental impacts from the location of resource extraction, e.g. a mine or a crop field, all the way to final consumers. By providing state-of-the-art online tools, analytics and visualisations, we support the design of science-based and target-oriented policies and the transition towards an economy operating within planetary boundaries.
Topics
GRU’s research focuses on accounting and modelling of global resource use and related environmental impacts. Our projects and studies orbit the following three overarching topics.
Partners and Funders
To deliver high-quality research and amplify its impact, we build upon a wide network of national, regional, and global institutions from academia, public administration, intergovernmental organisations, and civil society.
In the following you’ll find examples of our partner and funding institutions.
