As the world prepares to adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNEP's International Resource Panel (IRP) cautions that unless prudent natural resources management becomes an integral part of policy packages, the SDGs will not fulfill their fundamental purpose - of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and addressing all aspects of sustainable development. According to the IRP's new report, entitled 'Policy Coherence of the Sustainable Development Goals: A Natural Resource Perspective', sustainable prosperity for current and future generations requires the maintenance and restoration of ecosystem health. The IRP also cautions that policies to achieve the goals must be designed and implemented in an integrated way to maximize the progress towards all the SDGs and - ultimately - towards the overall goal of ending extreme poverty. With a projected world population of more than 9 billion people in 2050 and rapid economic growth across developing and emerging economies, demand for natural resources, especially raw materials, is expected to continue to rise strongly. Against this background, increasing resource efficiency is an important factor in delivering environmental and climate protection, employment, social benefits and sustainable green growth.