The use of natural resources is determined by policy fields other than environmental policy, such as economic, infrastructural, construction and agricultural policy. These policy fields provide opportunities to effectively address the use of material resources, as do research and innovation, consumer, finance and educational policy as well. Consequently the German Resource Efficiency Programme is a strategy of the national government (Bundesregierung) and not simply of the environmental department (Umweltressort). Opportunities for resource policy exist not only horizontally within the national government, but also vertically between the national, state and local governments. While the federal states (Bundesländer) and the communes are relevant environmental actors, the international community is equally important as a point of reference and for political goal setting in German national politics. These factors lead to the necessity of integrating the horizontal and vertical levels of policy-creation, which has not of yet been implemented in a systematic manner.

The research project PolRess II supports the implementation and the updating of the German Resource Efficiency Programme (ProgRess). Concrete goals include:

• The identification of relevant circles of actors and the analysis of their positions vis-à-vis necessary measures and areas of opportunity in German resource policy.

• Identifying and building strategic capacities through the recruitment of relevant actors in promoting the further development of ambitious resource policy.

• Developing arguments for ambitious resource policy accessible to different actors.

The project is structured in three work packages:

• Analysis and further development of PolRess’ policy approach: with the goal of analyzing policy instruments in the context of current societal and political debates. Here PolRess II encompasses discourse analyses, stakeholder workshops and specifically seeks to identify possibilities for action.

• Integration, participation and evaluation: The project aims to develop modes of action to establish principles of resource protection and efficiency in various domains and levels of politics. Relevant actor groups should be able to participate in developing overarching and consensual goals while determining needs for action beyond their respective policy area. An analysis of improvements of horizontal and vertical integration will be undertaken as well as of the accessibility of the debates. Furthermore, a manual will be developed for the improvement of vertical integration as well as a guideline for evaluation of the resource efficiency strategy.

• Communication: the development and organization of processes to integrate relevant actors in debate on resource policy.