Renewable resources can regenerate or be replenished through natural processes, whereas non-renewable resources exist as finite stocks that are not replaced within a useful human timescale. However, all resources are finite, and a renewable resource is not automatically sustainable.
This is core content for SL and HL in IB ESS subtopic 7.1 Natural resources: uses and management.
| Feature | Renewable resources | Non-renewable resources |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement | Replenished naturally if extraction does not exceed regeneration | Form so slowly that extraction reduces the available stock |
| Examples | Timber, freshwater, fish stocks, solar energy and wind energy | Coal, oil, natural gas, uranium and metal ores |
| Main management issue | Preventing harvest rates from exceeding regeneration rates | Reducing depletion through efficiency, reuse, recycling and substitution |
| Sustainability risk | Overharvesting can degrade or collapse the resource system | Continued use depletes reserves and may generate pollution or waste |
The distinction depends on the relationship between the rate of extraction and the rate of natural replacement. A forest is renewable because trees can regrow, but logging becomes unsustainable if timber removal exceeds forest regeneration. This reduces natural capital, meaning the stock of natural resources available, and therefore reduces future natural income, meaning the goods and services supplied by that stock.
The common misconception is that “renewable” means “sustainable.” This is incorrect. For example, the collapse of the Grand Banks cod fishery in Canada shows that a biologically renewable fish population can be overexploited faster than it reproduces. Resource management also has social consequences: restrictions may protect ecosystems while reducing the short-term income and food security of fishing communities.
For HL, extend the comparison by considering how extraction, processing and transport can make even renewable resources unsustainable.
Exam technique: If asked to distinguish, state the replacement-rate difference and refer to both categories. For an evaluate question, consider environmental, economic and social impacts, use a named example, compare perspectives, and finish with a supported judgement.
