As conflict continues to ripple out over the Middle East, global trade is seeing massive disruption. The Strait of Hormuz, which is pivotal to global shipping of oil, gas and urea (a widely used fertiliser), remains – at the time of publishing – effectively closed, interrupting supply chains and sparking fear in global markets around resource availability.
When we think of achieving national security, the first things that come to mind include investment in defence, protecting our digital systems and counter-intelligence efforts. However, these address the symptoms – a vulnerability to attack in an increasingly volatile global context – rather than tackling the root causes of insecurity.
The national threat from resource scarcity
In response to a Freedom of Information request by Green Alliance, the UK Government recently released a national security assessment that starkly sets out the risks to the UK from collapse of the world’s critical ecosystems. Of the six ecosystems most critical to our security, three are at realistic risk of collapse by 2030. Their severe degradation or collapse would drive mass migration and increase conflicts over resources.
If this were to happen, our supply chains and economy would be severely impacted, with a combination of short-term shocks and long-term increases to the cost of living and resource scarcity.
Linear supply chains exacerbate resource dependence
Our demand for resources, for the products we buy, use and often throw away soon after, drives around 90% of biodiversity loss according to the UNEP. Securing our national future will require us to tackle our excessive consumption of virgin resources.
We can achieve this by implementing and prioritising circular supply chains that keep critical material resources in-country and in circulation for longer. This would reduce our reliance on imported materials, helping to insulate the UK from demand spikes and regional or global disruptions to the supply of critical resources.
Establishing resource resilience nationally and locally
We can build resource security using several different approaches working in tandem. On a national level, developing and implementing effective policies can promote the recirculation of used goods and materials. The UK Government and devolved nations need to urgently look beyond recycling at how materials can be tackled further up the waste hierarchy and explore ways to incentivise and mandate action on reuse, repair and refurbishment across resource-intensive sectors.
On an organisation level, building take-back loops into business models makes companies more resilient to supply shocks; additionally, redesigning products to use fewer virgin materials both reduces risks and opens alternative supply chains.
Resource resilience can also be embedded into communities, through expanding reuse and repair opportunities for commonly wasted materials (such as electricals or paint), or by repurposing existing community assets (such as libraries) to act as hubs for community-led resource sharing.
Circularity as a route towards security
When faced by global threats and economic disruption, the temptation is to deprioritise the circular economy and sustainable development.
Instead, we should be doubling down on this: circular action provides a pathway for us to reduce our dependence on finite global resources and insecure ecosystems and increase our safety and prosperity.
This article was written by Resource Futures, an Innovation Partner for ISWA 2026.