Anders Wijkman recently co-authored an article for The New Statesman about how the circular economy is only half the picture: we also need to reduce consumption.
As he and his co-author explain:
“The UN says that the extraction and processing of materials is responsible for around 50 per cent of carbon emissions and 90 per cent of global land-related biodiversity loss. Stopping climate change and restoring nature, as well as ensuring the transition to a clean-energy economy is just and fair for people everywhere, will require a much bigger shift than many politicians, business leaders and even some scientists, think tanks and non-governmental organisations care to mention. Certain aspects of the circular economy concept, namely to “reduce, reuse and recycle”, have become prominent in recent years, but the emphasis needs to move away from increasing recycling rates to reducing extraction and consumption. Shein, for example, promised in 2022 to reduce supply chain emissions by 25 per cent by 2030, through greater energy efficiency, encouraging its manufacturers to use renewables, and incorporating more recycled materials into its clothes. Yet whether it will reduce the enormous amount of clothes and waste it produces is less clear.”
