Transcript here - SwitchMed

CICULAR ECONOMY
GLOBAL SUSTAIN
Barcelona, October 19
Dr Christian AVEROUS
Vice President Blue Plan/UNEP
ex OECD



A changing world: globalisation, environment,
digitalisation
A search for growth engines: consumption,
investment, trade, credit
Going against tax evasion





2015 key year for ambitious world development 2030
agenda
UN conference of Addis Ababa (july 2015) on financing
development
UN summit of New York (september 2015) on sustainable
development goals
UN conference of Paris (december 2015) on climate change
2016 & beyond: implementation, implementation,
implementation


The Addis Ababa conference on financing development
The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA): from ODA
focus to agreement:
owned,
universal,
public & private financing applying to north and south,
with new SDGs




New York Summit agreement on sustainable
development (part of UN General Assembly meeting)
150 Heads State/ Gov. approve SDGs (sustainable
development goals) 26 sept 2015: owned, universal,
inclusive (no one left behind)
17 SDGs, 169 targets, with indicators, with reporting
mechanism
A 2030 transformative agenda
(production/consumption, including growth, energy,…)
with means (finance, innovation/technology, data
revolution)





The Paris agreement on climate change (dec 2015):
on greenhouse gases emissions mitigation,
adaptation and finance
Already in force (ratified now > 55countries, >55%
emissions CO2)
Starting in the year 2020
To achieve <2°C increase, since preindustrial time in
2050
Commitments to be revisited 2020


Universal commitments full of wisdom and ambition
Butressed by commitments to green and inclusive
growth (OECD, IMF, World Bank, G20, EU)
The 2030 Agenda contains a clear endorsement of
circular economy as part of sustainable consumption and
production.
A key component of green economy/green growth
together with reducing food waste, energy transition
(associated to climate issues)





Similar to resource efficiency (parallel to energy
efficiency) at global, regional, national, territorial levels
Similar to 3Rs concept of reducing waste, recycling
waste, reusing waste
Key for green growth; change of economic paradigm:
three factors of production: labor, capital, ressources
Key for achieving sustainable and inclusive
development
Strong links with most goals (together with reducing
inequalities)





TRADE ISSUE resource efficiency is related to trade
concerns. Parallel to energy efficiency
Material intensive (importing) economies: Korea,
China, Japan, Germany, EU
Resources rich (exporting) economies: Australia,
Canada
STOCK ISSUE Global economy uses less and less
material /unit GDP
High material /capita: overuse of natural asset base of
the planet, excessive footprints of some materials




Applies to public and private policy orientations
Creation of secondary material markets
France trade balance in recycled material (3 billion EUR
in 2014, x8 over 15 years)
Unused ‘urban mines’

Incorporate in:
products (goods & services), processes, market approaches, organization

Special attention to:
life cycle thinking
value chain (co-operation with partners)

Thereby achieving enhanced
performance
competitivness

Extended producer responsibility




Framework; stocks and flows
Materials: biomass for food and feed, wood, fossil
energy, construction materials, industry materials,
metals and metal ores
Flows of waste and recycled materials
Stocks of material natural or man-made (urban mines)


Data & Indicators available for key ‘international’
materials: iron/steel, copper, aluminum, paper,
phosphorus, rare earth
Rare earth used in batteries, catalysts, ceramics, glass
industry, magnets, metallurgy, phosphors…
applications in defense, chemicals, nuclear, water…
sectors




Progress in material flows resource efficiency
Gaps: resource prices, taxes, subsidies
Leading programs internationally: UNEP, OECD, EU
Knowledge available for major actions and advances
towards resource efficiency improvements (globally,
regionally, nationally).