Understanding the barriers to recycling critical raw materials for the energy transition
Rising geopolitical tensions and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have intensified concerns about securing access to the critical raw materials (CRMs) that are needed for the energy transition. A group of 17 elements referred to as rare earth elements (REEs) are among the CRMs for which security of supply is increasingly becoming a matter […]
Barriers and policy challenges in developing circularity approaches in the EU battery sector: an assessment
Using a qualitative case-study approach, we assess the barriers and policy challenges that companies in the EU battery sector face in implementing circularity. The study involves a sample of 20 companies drawn from a combination of purposeful and snowball sampling methods. Empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews. The results show that the EU’s revised […]
Implementing the EU digital battery passport
Introduced as part of the new EU regulatory frameworks for ecodesign and batteries, the digital product passport (DPP) supports the collection and sharing of product-related data among supply chain actors. As the first tool of this kind globally, it aspires to address existing information gaps for products and components throughout global supply chains, thus becoming […]
Squaring the Circle: Policies from Europe’s Circular Economy Transition
Launch of the new World Bank report: “Squaring the Circle: Policies from Europe’s Circular Economy Transition” Followed by a panel discussion: “How can Europe further boost the Circular Economy Transition within and beyond its borders?” The overlapping geopolitical, economic, and environmental crises currently impacting the world economy highlight the urgency to address surging rates […]
Low-carbon technologies and Russian imports
The term ‘strategic autonomy’ denotes the political goal of building a self-reliant EU economy with limited exposure to supply disruptions, like those stemming from the Covid-19 crisis. Securing access to the non-energy minerals required for building a new industrial ecosystem consistent with the EU’s decarbonisation objectives is important to achieving this goal. Rising demand for […]