12 September 2024 – CLG Europe’s Materials & Products Taskforce launched their new report at the European Parliament and online: “No Time to Waste: Driving the EU’s Resilience and Competitiveness through a Circular Economy”. Gathering over 60 stakeholders including policymakers, businesses, and civil society representatives, the presentation of this timely new report was followed by a vigorous discussion about the next five years of the circular economy in the European Union.
Read a summary of key points from the launch event.
Produced by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)'s Taskforce on climate-neutral and circular materials & products in collaboration with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, the new report examines the business case for EU action on the circular economy. The report is highly apt in the context of growing political and policy interest around circularity, including Commission President von der Leyen’s recent commitment to propose a new Circular Economy Act during her second mandate. This is especially significant for businesses eager to innovate sustainably and fully harness the potential of a circular economy transition.
The report identifies the policy gaps, inconsistencies, and stakeholder needs that must be addressed during the next five years to facilitate a swift and effective transition. Focusing on four system drivers of change (policy and governance, capital allocation, market demand, and societal engagement) the report outlines priority policy actions and business insights into overcoming various barriers. Overall, it emphasises that a more ambitious and integrated approach – through the forthcoming Circular Economy Act and other strategic EU initiatives – could accelerate the circular economy transition, driving Europe’s competitive sustainability, industrial success, and alignment with social, environmental, and economic goals.
Presenting the publication, lead author Sanna Markkanen explained its key rationale, methodology, and findings. The report was welcomed by key policymakers MEP Sara Matthieu (who hosted the event) and William Neale (Adviser on Circular Economy at DG ENVI). The policymakers were joined by representatives from the business and civil society communities: Claudia Bierth (Ball), Joan Marc Simon (Zero Waste Europe), and Emma Watkins (Institute for European Environmental Policy). Throughout the event, participation from audience members ensured a lively discussion about the wide-reaching implications of ambitious circular economy legislation.
Key points identified in the discussion were: the importance of policy implementation, fulfilling the investment gap to incentivise demand for circular materials and products, the communication and spread of social and economic benefits, the creation of new narratives and moving away from conceptions of waste, setting clear and binding targets based on new metrics, focusing on quality as well as quantity, alignment with planetary boundaries, growing the bioeconomy, monitoring progress with effective enforcement, and building a new economic model based on the principle of competitive sustainability.
