Global biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, giving rise to a sixth mass extinction and constituting one of the core challenges of the triple planetary crisis. Biodiversity forms the foundation of life on Earth and its loss presents a systemic risk to future human survival. To reverse the biodiversity crisis, transformative systems-wide change is required.
This paper addresses an existing research gap by exploring whether the circular economy can play a role not only in halting biodiversity loss but also in regenerating it and thereby contributing to a nature-positive future. To unlock the regenerative potential of the circular economy, a coherent strategy is needed that provides incentives for all actors, notably policymakers and businesses.
This Sitra memorandum focuses on providing building blocks to help the next European Commission address the ecological crisis while maintaining Europe's competitiveness and resilience.
The renewed European Commission will take office in 2024 and must keep up the European Green Deal, ensuring that it centres on nature and mainstreams the circular economy across the EU single market.
The key recommendations include:
ecosystem accounting
biodiversity offsets
circular single market
leveraging nature as a business opportunity
using data for the green transition
addressing Europe's global biodiversity footprint, and
reforming the common agricultural policy.
Stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to the ongoing debate, ensuring the strategy's success.
The FutuRaM project (Future Availability of Raw Materials) aims to develop an online knowledge base on the availability and recoverability of secondary raw materials and critical raw materials.
The European Commission has launched a new call for tenders under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) which will be particularly relevant to stakeholders working on ship recycling.
The call will finance a study providing the European Commission with an up-to-date analysis of the economic dynamics and effects of the use of controversial open registers for vessels, including the impact on the environment.
On 3 July, the Court of Auditors issued a special report on the roll-out of the circular economy in the EU, entitled "Circular economy: slow transition by member states despite EU action".
The report provides recommendations on monitoring and investments. These are currently being addressed by the Commission which will take them into account when developing future circular economy policies.
The OECD Programme on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions, in collaboration with Tallinn Green Capital 2023 and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) commission Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE), and the European Commission Circular Cities and Region Initiative (CCRI) is delighted to invite you to the 5th OECD Roundtable on the
Circular Economy in Cities and Regions - Accelerating the Transition to a Circular Economy in Cities and Regions.
This online session on 2 June 2023, from 10:00 to 12:00 (GMT+2), explores how cities worldwide can unlock the potential of the circular economy at the local level, while promoting biodiversity and nature conservation.
Circle Economy has partnered with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Bank Group initiative Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) on jobs in the circular economy. S4YE is a multi-year initiative to generate and share evidence and data for a better understand of how the circular economy can help lead to a more just and inclusive world.
This report systematically documents the literature on circular economy and jobs, identifying gaps and suggesting ways to simultaneously promote environmental sustainability and good quality jobs. It provides valuable insights for policy makers to move towards a better environment that is just for all, helping to create win-win situations that are so urgently needed for the planet, its prosperity and its people.
This WCEF2023 Accelerator Session is a hybrid event taking place on 1 June. Its panel explores Vietnam's experience developing its Circular Economy roadmap, its learnings, and a way forward.
The European Commission has published the revised Circular Economy monitoring framework. This framework helps to track progress in the transition to a circular economy in the EU and considers how the circular economy can contribute to climate neutrality, resilience and global sustainability. The framework includes new indicators, covering material footprint, resource productivity and waste prevention targets.
