9. Conclusions
In this paper we proposed and presented a test of the valuebased resource efficiency (VRE) indicator – a new method to measure resource efficiency and circularity that is more aligned with the market value of resources. The underlying research used standardised data on industry sectors from Statistics Netherlands to compare the resource efficiency of 40 Dutch sectors indicated by the VRE and by a traditional massbased approach. The sectors that rank less resource efficient according to VRE than the mass-based indicator are those where the prices of the inputs used are high. In particular, the ‘manufacture of computers, electronic and optical products’ and the ‘manufacture of other transport equipment’ sectors stand out in this respect. Sectors that rank more resource efficient with the value-based indicator are typically resource intensive. However, the input resources usually have a lower price per unit. In particular, the ‘mining and quarrying (no oil and gas)’ and the ‘extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas’ sectors are more efficient under the new indicator. We believe that because of its simplicity, robustness, cost effectiveness and adaptability, as well as its alignment with policy and other economic indicators, and its correlation with environmental impact, the VRE indicator can be useful to monitor and assess progress towards greater resource efficiency at both the local and the global scale.