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Mitigating climate change calls for us to rethink how we work and live. Given that\u00a070\u202f%\u00a0of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with extracting raw materials from the Earth and processing them, transitioning to a more sustainable model of producing and consuming goods is essential. In a circular economy, waste\u202f\u2013 such as heat and wastewater\u202f\u2013 is utilized as a resource, \u201cclosing the loop\u201d of product life cycles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a formidable challenge. The latest\u00a0Circularity Gap Report\u00a0found a hundred billion tonnes of materials are consumed every year, of which more than 90\u202f% are wasted. Catherine Chevauch\u00e9, Chair of the ISO committee responsible for drafting the first International Standard for the circular economy, says there is no time to waste in closing the loop\u202f\u2013 but governments, organizations and individuals aren\u2019t acting fast enough. She does not hesitate to call this an \u201cemergency\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe question is timing. We have to do more, and we have to do it faster,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2019s not easy to change a way of doing things when you [have done it] since the Industrial Revolution and you have this mindset. To change that, and in a really short time\u2026 I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s possible, but we try!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We consume far too much and far too quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Closing, narrowing and slowing the loop\u00a0<\/p>\n
Closing the loop will require leaving behind an entrenched model of production and consumption (the \u201clinear economy\u201d). Among other trials, organizations must be prepared to stand up to potential demands from stakeholders to continue pursuing short-term profit at any cost as they shift towards this new, more sustainable paradigm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But closing the loop isn\u2019t enough. We consume far too much and far too quickly. Short of miraculous advances in recycling technology that allow for 100\u202f% of materials to be reused, this behaviour is impossible to sustain. Chevauch\u00e9 explains how we are at real risk of extinguishing Earth\u2019s finite resources if we continue with business as usual. \u201cIf we close the loop without looking at what we are doing at the source, there is a problem,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have only one planet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the scale of the challenge, there is reason to be optimistic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hope on the horizon\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the scale of the challenge, there is reason to be optimistic. Policy interventions like the European Union\u2019s Green New Deal for sustainable growth, for instance, include the\u00a0circular economy as a key \u201cbuilding block\u201d\u00a0of economic recovery from COVID-19. The government of the Netherlands aims to reach\u00a050\u202f% circularity\u00a0by 2030 and a wholly waste-free economy by 2050. The Japanese government recognizes businesses closing the loop with its\u00a0Circular Economy Challenge, while Brazil is due to welcome its first\u00a0circular economy laboratory\u00a0in Fernando de Noronha this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, at ISO, the technical committee for the circular economy is drafting its package of circular economy standards with renewed urgency. Instead of drafting one standard at a time, ISO will draft standards in parallel over three years. The standards will be published by the beginning of 2024. There has been resounding international support for the circular economy, with the number of member countries engaging with the standards growing from 40 to 85.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The publication of the standards will be an important milestone in the transition towards a more sustainable world in which waste is reduced and reused, equipping organizations everywhere with the information they need to start shifting to circularity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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