Circular economy Green Gold? Ybele Hoogeveen Unwrapping the Package Towards a Circular Economy in Europe Rotterdam, 26 January 2016
7 th Environment Action Programme ‘In 2050, we live well, within the planet's ecological limits. Our prosperity and healthy environment stem from an innovative, circular economy where nothing is wasted and where natural resources are managed sustainably, and biodiversity is protected, valued and restored in ways that enhance our society's resilience. Our low-carbon growth has long been decoupled from resource use, setting the pace for a global safe and sustainable society.’
The sustainability challenge
SOER2015 key outcomes Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital Resource efficiency and the low-carbon economy Safeguarding from environmental risks to health Past (5–10) year trends Improving trends dominate Trends show mixed picture Deteriorating trends dominate 20+ years outlook /
Materials use, GDP and resource productivity in EU28, Data sources: Eurostat 2016 European decoupling
Eco-industry growth despite the recession
Published on 18 January 2016 Resource use strategy
What is the circular economy? 11.5 tonnes of materials extracted in tonnes of material per person imported in tonnes of waste per person incinerated in tonnes of waste per person sent to landfill in 2012
Key enabling factors Eco-design longer life design minimal use of resources and enabling recycling substitution of hazardous substances Recycling markets for secondary raw materials avoidance of mixing and contaminating materials cascading use of materials Economic incentives and finance shifting taxes from labour to natural resources and pollution deposit systems extended producer responsibility alternative finance mechanisms
Measuring progress
Waste and material flows EU28, 2012 Figures in red are based on Eurostat MFA accounts Source: Eurostat databases 2015
To be published in the spring of Progress across Europe
RE policy review coverage
Interventions to close material loops
Some preliminary findings Economic factors have become the major driving force now – the logic of doing more with less seems widely embraced More than half of the countries presented initiatives on secondary raw materials and on waste prevention as the core of their work on resource efficiency Waste and energy are the most frequent priorities for resource efficiency. Reported examples of good policy practice are dominated by waste prevention and recycling Energy efficiency and resource efficiency policies appear to be largely disconnected. A few countries (eg. DE, DK, NL) already have a circular economy strategy or an action plan; several more acknowledged the need to move away from the linear model.
Human well- being Ecosystem resilience Resource efficiency Waste prevention Waste management Circular economy focus Green economy focus Waste Framework Directive (and other EU waste legislation) Resource Efficiency Roadmap 7th Environment Action Programme Circular economy in context
Issues for further policy attention Strategic raw materials Biomass and ecosystem resilience Hazardous substances and human exposure Global effects Winners and losers