CEweekLDN: circular economy and net zero targets are mutually reinforcing

This year’s Circular Economy Week London kicked off with a lively panel discussion entitled 'How does the circular economy tackle climate change?' with an impressive lineup of speakers from organisations including the Greater London Authority (GLA), the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, writes Miriam Habtesellasie.

A common thread weaving through the event was the need for government, businesses and organisations to ensure that conversations about net zero and the circular economy weren’t siloed, with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce senior director Alison McRae arguing that the latter can actually act as an enabler of the former.

So how do we bridge the divide?

Deputy mayor Environment and Energy Shirley Rodrigues revealed that the new London Plan – the statutory Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London – includes a requirement for a circular economy statement to be included in all planning submissions.

Welsh government head of circular economy policy David Warren also described how the Welsh government is including the circular economy in discussions across a wide range of areas, not just his, including procurement and infrastructure.

GLA assistant director Environment and Energy Pete Daw detailed that a circular economy ambition has been weaved into several of the GLA’s key missions including the Green New Deal, the Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme and High Streets for All.

And when it came to the question of how we can bring the circular economy to life, the answers, while not simple, were within the realms of achievability.

Researcher and writer on carbon footprinting, professor and fellow of the Institute for Social Futures at Lancaster University and director and principal consultant of Small World Consulting Mike Berners-Lee argues that getting the ball rolling on the circular economy involves a culture change.

He noted that the pandemic has already seen people make widespread changes to their daily habits and as we come out of the other side there’s an ideal opportunity for us to make more careful lifestyle choices around consumption. In terms of those that would support both action on climate change and the circular economy he gave examples including conscious shopping – where consumers understand the environmental impact of their chosen product’s supply chain and have some idea about its longevity – and actively reducing food waste.

He estimates that when embedded carbon emissions are included the average person in the UK has an annual CO2 footprint of 12.7 tonnes, a higher figure than those often cited.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation executive lead Institutions, Governments and Cities Jocelyn Blériot argues that statistics point to the fact sharing assets, such as car sharing initiatives, is the best approach to tackling greenhouse gas emissions.

And this is exactly what the circular economy does best according to Warren and others. Warren revealed Wales’ £40 million circular economy fund has already provided funding support for 50 repair cafes over the past 18 months, and other sharing economy initiatives such as libraries of things (where library uses can borrow items such as tools) and Fareshare are also coming through.

He also emphasised that we need to stop viewing the circular economy as purely environmental initiative and as one that also enacts social change and bring communities together. A point echoed by Berners-Lee, who also envisions a future where the UK's high streets are revived by repair shops and shops selling all manner of second hand goods, pumping money into the local economy and increasing social contact.

For McRae mainstreaming the circular economy involves making a clear case about its business benefits, of which, she argues, there are several. As well as monetary conversion, she argues that a business that is underpinned by the circular economy will generate more customer loyalty, as they've shown demonstrable action on climate change and can weave this into their story. She cites the success of Scottish Leather Group (SLG) following the development of its circular manufacturing process as a case in point. By 2025 the SLG team aim to have a 100 per cent closed-loop process.

What are your reactions to the above and do they tie in with your view of the circular economy and its role in climate change mitigation?

Learn more about the circular economy by reading our interview with Shirley Rodrigues on the mayor’s 2050 manifesto for London or our interview with Globechain founder May Al-Karooni. And for more on next zero why not try the missing link – the role of water efficiency in reaching net zero?