12.4 International agreements and initiatives supporting circular economy
3 min read•august 9, 2024
International agreements play a crucial role in driving adoption worldwide. From climate accords to waste management treaties, these pacts set global standards and encourage nations to embrace sustainable practices and .
Circular economy initiatives, led by organizations like the EU and , are pushing for systemic change. These efforts focus on redesigning products, empowering consumers, and fostering collaboration among businesses, governments, and academia to accelerate the transition to .
International Agreements
Climate and Sustainability Agreements
Top images from around the web for Climate and Sustainability Agreements
Responsible consumption and production – A Rounder Sense of Purpose View original
Is this image relevant?
Who’s running late for the Paris Agreement? | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original
Is this image relevant?
Figure 2: SDGs with an environmental dimension View original
Is this image relevant?
Responsible consumption and production – A Rounder Sense of Purpose View original
Is this image relevant?
Who’s running late for the Paris Agreement? | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
Top images from around the web for Climate and Sustainability Agreements
Responsible consumption and production – A Rounder Sense of Purpose View original
Is this image relevant?
Who’s running late for the Paris Agreement? | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original
Is this image relevant?
Figure 2: SDGs with an environmental dimension View original
Is this image relevant?
Responsible consumption and production – A Rounder Sense of Purpose View original
Is this image relevant?
Who’s running late for the Paris Agreement? | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
- aims to limit global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
- Encourages countries to transition to low-carbon economies
- Promotes sustainable resource management and
- Requires nations to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outlining their climate action plans
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a blueprint for global sustainable development by 2030
- Goal 12 specifically addresses responsible consumption and production
- Promotes resource efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and access to basic services
- Encourages companies to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information into reporting cycles
Resource Management and Waste Agreements
- regulates transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal
- Aims to protect human health and the environment against adverse effects of hazardous wastes
- Promotes of wastes
- Recent amendments address plastic waste, supporting circular economy efforts in plastics management
- fosters collaboration among G7 nations to improve resource efficiency
- Shares best practices and promotes innovation in resource efficiency
- Encourages the adoption of in businesses
- Supports the development of and measurement methodologies
Circular Economy Initiatives
European Union Circular Economy Efforts
- (EU) presents a set of initiatives to establish a framework
- Focuses on designing sustainable products, empowering consumers, and promoting circularity in production processes
- Identifies key product value chains (electronics, batteries, vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction, food)
- Aims to reduce waste generation and create a well-functioning EU market for
- project analyzes the economic and environmental consequences of transitioning to a more resource-efficient and circular economy
- Provides policy guidance on resource efficiency and the transition to a circular economy
- Develops quantitative economic-environmental modeling to assess the impacts of resource efficiency and circular economy policies
- Analyzes the macroeconomic consequences of the transition, including impacts on GDP, employment, and trade
Global Circular Economy Advocacy and Collaboration
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation works with businesses, governments, and academia to accelerate the transition to a circular economy
- Develops and promotes the circular economy concept through research, learning, and collaboration
- Circular Economy 100 (CE100) network brings together corporations, governments, cities, and academic institutions
- Publishes influential reports on in various sectors (fashion, food systems, plastics)
- serves as a global platform for sharing and best practices
- Annual event brings together business leaders, policymakers, and experts from around the world
- Showcases circular economy innovations and facilitates knowledge exchange
- Promotes international collaboration and partnerships to advance circular economy implementation globally
Key Terms to Review (20)
Basel Convention: The Basel Convention is an international treaty that aims to reduce the movement of hazardous waste between nations, especially from developed to developing countries. Established in 1989, the convention emphasizes the environmentally sound management of waste and encourages countries to minimize waste generation and promote recycling and recovery efforts.
Circular economy: The circular economy is an economic model aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources by rethinking traditional production and consumption patterns. It contrasts with the linear economy, which follows a 'take-make-dispose' approach, instead promoting practices like recycling, reusing, and refurbishing. This approach not only benefits the environment by reducing resource depletion and pollution but also fosters innovation, sustainable growth, and long-term economic resilience.
Circular economy action plan: A circular economy action plan is a strategic framework developed by governments, organizations, or businesses that outlines specific measures and initiatives aimed at transitioning from a linear economic model to a circular one. This type of plan often includes goals for resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable practices, while addressing key challenges in measuring progress and supporting international collaboration.
Circular economy opportunities: Circular economy opportunities refer to the various avenues and potential benefits that arise from adopting circular economy principles, which focus on minimizing waste and making the most of resources. These opportunities can include innovation in product design, new business models that emphasize sustainability, and the creation of value through resource efficiency. By embracing circular economy practices, organizations can reduce costs, enhance brand reputation, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Circular economy principles: Circular economy principles refer to a framework aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. This approach emphasizes the importance of designing products and systems that enable reuse, repair, and recycling, thereby reducing the need for new materials. The principles are closely linked to innovative business models, stakeholder engagement, extended producer responsibility, and international cooperation to foster sustainability.
Circular economy solutions: Circular economy solutions refer to strategies and practices that aim to minimize waste and make the most of resources by keeping products, materials, and resources in use for as long as possible. These solutions are designed to create closed-loop systems where waste is reduced, reused, and recycled, thus promoting sustainability. They often align with international agreements and initiatives that encourage countries and businesses to adopt more sustainable practices and reduce their environmental impact.
Circularity: Circularity refers to an economic model that emphasizes the continuous use of resources, aiming to minimize waste and create sustainable systems by keeping products, materials, and resources in use for as long as possible. This concept promotes a shift from the traditional linear economy—where resources are extracted, used, and disposed of—to a more regenerative approach that values recycling, reusing, and remanufacturing. Circularity plays a vital role in global sustainability efforts, influencing policies, business strategies, and value creation.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK-based charity that aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by inspiring and educating business, academia, and government. The foundation promotes the principles of circularity through various initiatives, research, and collaborations with different stakeholders, advocating for systems that minimize waste and make the most of resources.
Environmentally sound management: Environmentally sound management refers to the process of managing waste and resources in a way that minimizes environmental impact and promotes sustainability. This concept emphasizes the importance of handling hazardous materials responsibly and ensuring that all stages of a product's life cycle are considered, from production to disposal. By integrating sustainable practices into various sectors, environmentally sound management supports initiatives aimed at fostering a circular economy.
G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency: The G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency is a collaborative initiative among the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations aimed at promoting sustainable resource management and fostering a circular economy. This alliance seeks to enhance resource efficiency across member countries by sharing best practices, developing innovative strategies, and encouraging policies that support sustainability. By aligning efforts on resource utilization, the G7 aims to address environmental challenges while promoting economic growth.
Life-cycle-based decision-making: Life-cycle-based decision-making is an approach that evaluates the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a product or service throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. This method encourages businesses to consider sustainability at every stage, ensuring that choices made today do not compromise future resources or opportunities. It aligns closely with the principles of circular economy, which emphasizes resource efficiency and waste reduction.
OECD Re-Circle: OECD Re-Circle is an initiative by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development aimed at promoting and implementing circular economy principles across its member countries. This program emphasizes the importance of sustainable economic growth by fostering collaboration among stakeholders to develop innovative business models that reduce waste, enhance resource efficiency, and create a more sustainable future.
Paris Agreement: The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty adopted in 2015 to address climate change and its impacts. It aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an aspirational target of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This agreement fosters international cooperation by encouraging nations to set and achieve their own climate goals, which can be linked to the broader concept of a circular economy that emphasizes sustainability and resource efficiency.
Plastic waste management: Plastic waste management refers to the strategies and practices employed to handle plastic waste throughout its lifecycle, from production to disposal, with the aim of minimizing environmental impact and promoting recycling and reuse. Effective plastic waste management is essential in supporting circular economy principles, as it seeks to reduce the amount of plastic entering landfills and oceans, thereby conserving resources and protecting ecosystems.
Resource Efficiency: Resource efficiency refers to the strategic use of resources to minimize waste and maximize productivity throughout the lifecycle of products and services. This concept is integral to the circular economy, emphasizing the need for smarter, more sustainable practices that not only enhance economic growth but also benefit the environment and society.
Resource efficiency indicators: Resource efficiency indicators are metrics used to assess how effectively resources are being utilized within an economy or organization. These indicators measure the relationship between resource input and economic output, helping to identify areas for improvement in sustainability and productivity. They play a crucial role in evaluating progress towards achieving circular economy goals and ensuring that international agreements are being met.
Secondary raw materials: Secondary raw materials are materials that have been recovered from waste products and are reused in the production of new goods, instead of being extracted from natural resources. This concept is central to promoting sustainability and minimizing environmental impact, as it reduces the need for virgin materials and encourages a more circular approach to resource management.
Sustainable Product Policy: Sustainable product policy refers to a set of guidelines and regulations aimed at promoting the development and consumption of products that minimize negative environmental impacts while supporting social equity and economic viability. This concept emphasizes the importance of designing products with their entire life cycle in mind, encouraging practices such as eco-design, resource efficiency, and responsible sourcing. Sustainable product policy is connected to international agreements and initiatives that aim to foster a circular economy by promoting sustainability in production and consumption patterns globally.
Unsustainable Development Goals: Unsustainable Development Goals refer to targets and objectives that do not promote long-term environmental, economic, or social health, often leading to depletion of resources and negative impacts on communities and ecosystems. These goals can arise from practices that prioritize short-term gains over sustainable practices, reflecting the need for a shift towards more responsible resource management and systems that support circular economy principles.
World Circular Economy Forum: The World Circular Economy Forum is an international event focused on advancing the transition to a circular economy by bringing together stakeholders from business, government, and academia. This forum serves as a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices related to circular economy initiatives, fostering collaboration, and driving systemic change. By addressing global challenges such as resource scarcity and environmental degradation, the forum promotes sustainable economic growth through circular approaches.