In a context of high and volatile resource prices and increasingly evident resource constraints, a resource-intensive growth pattern translates to an economy with higher exposure to risk, especially for the most vulnerable in society. Resource efficiency is increasingly an economic risk management strategy on both economic and social fronts. There are also policy failures, such as fiscal policies and market prices that do not reflect the true cost of resources or the pollution that resource use generates, as well as over-emphasis on resource-intensive export-led growth. An analysis of the factors that have contributed to resource-intensive growth also shows that technological advances have not led to efficiency improvements and are highly unlikely to mitigate future environmental pressures.