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 […]
Sustainable Product Policy Initiative: A new framework for environmental performance of products
The European Commission plans to present in the end of March its flagship Sustainable Product Policy Initiative that will aim to set out a new EU policy framework for sustainable products and help achieve the EU’s climate neutrality and circular economy objectives. Among the key elements to be included in the initiative are requirements on […]
Implementation of circular economy approaches in the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector
Circular economy business models (CBMs) are identified as important levers in the transition to a circular economy (CE). Published in the ‘Journal for Cleaner Production’, this article aims to enrich the research in the field of CBMs by focusing on the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector. The study adopts a multi-case study approach and uses a sample of 31 […]
Chemical recycling: what is the state of play globally?
Chemical recycling is increasingly being featured in the discussions around plastic waste generation globally as one of the potential solutions to address this challenge. Various chemical recycling technologies have emerged in recent years that are at different levels of development. There is growing investment interest in this group of technologies as demonstrated by various recent […]
Barriers and enablers for implementing circular economy business models
The circular economy is a key element of the European Green Deal as a concept that can support the transition towards a more sustainable growth model. While in recent years there has been a growth of circular economy industrial applications, evidence suggests that the uptake of circular approaches in many sectors is still limited. This […]
Chemical recycling: what role for the EU’s circularity and decarbonisation objectives?
Plastics have enjoyed exceptional growth in production for decades and are used extensively across a multitude of sectors including packaging, construction, electronics, automotive and agriculture. Prompted by concerns over plastic waste generation and impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, in 2018 the European Commission published a strategy on plastics which was followed by legislative actions […]
Study on Circular Economy developments in the GCC region and opportunities for collaboration with the European Union
This report explores developments in the field of the circular economy in the Arab States of the Gulf region (notably the members of the GCC – the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf), to identify areas where the EU and the GCC countries can strengthen their collaboration. Focusing on two GCC countries […]
Framing the Circular Economy as an EU recovery opportunity
Recovery from the Covid-19 crisis presents an important and unique opportunity for the EU to accelerate its transition towards a climate-neutral and circular economy. While there is little dispute about the opportunities offered by the funds available for the low-carbon and circular economy, the longer-term impact on Europe’s decarbonisation trajectory will depend on the choices […]
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