The Amsterdam-based social enterprise Circle Economy called for a considerable uptake in re-use, re-manufacturing and re-cycling in key sectors such as the built environment in order to lower carbon emissions.

“Most governments barely consider circular economy measures in policies aimed at meeting the UN target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C,” the body said.

Only about a tenth of the nearly 93 billion tonnes of materials utilised annually – including minerals, metals, fossil fuels and biomass – are currently put back into service, the report states.

Climate change and material use are closely linked, with Circle Economy estimating that 62 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (excluding those from land use and forestry) are released during the extraction, processing and manufacturing of goods. The other 38 per cent is emitted in the delivery and use of products and services.

Circle Economy CEO Harald Friedl said that more efficient use of those resources could help avoid overshooting the goals adopted in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit the average rise in global temperatures to “well below” 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C, above pre-industrial times.

“A 1.5°C world can only be a circular world,” he said. “Recycling, greater resource efficiency and circular business models offer huge scope to reduce emissions. A systemic approach to applying these strategies would tip the balance in the battle against global warming.”

Global use of materials is accelerating and has more than tripled since 1970 and could double again by 2050 without action, according to the UN International Resource Panel.

The Circle Economy report said 62 per cent of heat-trapping emissions, excluding land use and forestry, are released during the extraction, processing and manufacturing of goods.

To tackle climate change, government policy has so far focused on adopting renewable energies, boosting energy efficiency and stopping deforestation, the report said.

“It is like when you look in your closet on a morning and you only look for pants,” Friedl said. “We need to change the whole system.”

“To make things circular may be painful – from changing consumer and business habits to telling countries to put up the right regulations – but it is feasible.”

In Asia, fast-developing economies and urbanisation are driving huge investments in construction and infrastructure, offering chances to promote a circular economy, said Friedl.

In Europe, the report urged countries to maximise the value of existing buildings by extending their lifespan, improving energy efficiency and finding new uses for them.

The report outlined three broad strategies to shift to a circular economy. The use of products should be maximised, such as through car-sharing or keeping vehicles for longer, it said.

Recycling and reducing waste are also key, as is using natural, low-carbon materials in construction, like bamboo and wood instead of cement, it said.

Governments should adopt taxation and spending plans that encourage a circular economy, raising levies on emissions and excessive waste production while cutting them for labour, innovation and investments, the report added.

Financial incentives that promote the overuse of natural resources, such as fossil fuels, should be abolished, it said.

In December 2018, respected nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough warned about the devastating impact of climate change and urged world leaders to do more to fight it, speaking at a UN climate conference in Poland.

Sir David also made an appearance at the World Economic Forum this week, held in the Swiss village of Davos, to accept a conservation award. He warned the assembled political and business leaders that “the Garden of Eden is no more”, urging all those in the audience to consider the damaging effects of climate change when shaping policies in their home nations.

The Amsterdam-based social enterprise Circle Economy called for a considerable uptake in re-use, re-manufacturing and re-cycling in key sectors such as the built environment in order to lower carbon emissions.

“Most governments barely consider circular economy measures in policies aimed at meeting the UN target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C,” the body said.

Only about a tenth of the nearly 93 billion tonnes of materials utilised annually – including minerals, metals, fossil fuels and biomass – are currently put back into service, the report states.

Climate change and material use are closely linked, with Circle Economy estimating that 62 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (excluding those from land use and forestry) are released during the extraction, processing and manufacturing of goods. The other 38 per cent is emitted in the delivery and use of products and services.

Circle Economy CEO Harald Friedl said that more efficient use of those resources could help avoid overshooting the goals adopted in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit the average rise in global temperatures to “well below” 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C, above pre-industrial times.

“A 1.5°C world can only be a circular world,” he said. “Recycling, greater resource efficiency and circular business models offer huge scope to reduce emissions. A systemic approach to applying these strategies would tip the balance in the battle against global warming.”

Global use of materials is accelerating and has more than tripled since 1970 and could double again by 2050 without action, according to the UN International Resource Panel.

The Circle Economy report said 62 per cent of heat-trapping emissions, excluding land use and forestry, are released during the extraction, processing and manufacturing of goods.

To tackle climate change, government policy has so far focused on adopting renewable energies, boosting energy efficiency and stopping deforestation, the report said.

“It is like when you look in your closet on a morning and you only look for pants,” Friedl said. “We need to change the whole system.”

“To make things circular may be painful – from changing consumer and business habits to telling countries to put up the right regulations – but it is feasible.”

In Asia, fast-developing economies and urbanisation are driving huge investments in construction and infrastructure, offering chances to promote a circular economy, said Friedl.

In Europe, the report urged countries to maximise the value of existing buildings by extending their lifespan, improving energy efficiency and finding new uses for them.

The report outlined three broad strategies to shift to a circular economy. The use of products should be maximised, such as through car-sharing or keeping vehicles for longer, it said.

Recycling and reducing waste are also key, as is using natural, low-carbon materials in construction, like bamboo and wood instead of cement, it said.

Governments should adopt taxation and spending plans that encourage a circular economy, raising levies on emissions and excessive waste production while cutting them for labour, innovation and investments, the report added.

Financial incentives that promote the overuse of natural resources, such as fossil fuels, should be abolished, it said.

In December 2018, respected nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough warned about the devastating impact of climate change and urged world leaders to do more to fight it, speaking at a UN climate conference in Poland.

Sir David also made an appearance at the World Economic Forum this week, held in the Swiss village of Davos, to accept a conservation award. He warned the assembled political and business leaders that “the Garden of Eden is no more”, urging all those in the audience to consider the damaging effects of climate change when shaping policies in their home nations.