ABSTRACT
The supply side of resource provision is often seen from two contrasting views: one narrative is the scarcity debate and ‘limits to growth’, according to which the availability of resources is limited and uncertain. The other narrative is one of optimism and argues in favour of abundant supply, where any potential scarcity is prevented through technical progress and international trade. Both narratives feature prominently in contemporary media and have resembled in earlier debates (Benes et al., 2015). Yet, the mainstream of the evidence nowadays gravitates towards the middle. A survey would most likely conclude as follows: Basic minerals and fossil fuels are sufficiently available for a foreseeable timeframe (Meinert et al., 2016), the potential of biomass is significant, and concerns primarily relate to short-term issues around food and water and some critical materials.
