Think20 Policy Briefs co-authored by CESD members

Thanks to two policy briefs co-written by CESD (Circular Economy Solutions Dialogues) members, the importance of a transition to a Circular Economy was directly fed into the Think20 / G20 process.

1. T20 Policy Brief 2022: Embedding The Circular Economy In Global Value Chains: Strategies And Frameworks For A Just And Effective Transition:

The circular economy transition along global value chains provides levers that can curb raw material use, preserve biodiversity, and reduce
pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). While the transition to circularity is building momentum, several systemic barriers continue to exist. This policy brief presents eight proposals which facilitate the transition to circular value chains in G20 countries and the Global South. In detail, we recommend: (1) advancing the circular design of products, (2) making international trade and investment policies supportive of circular value chains, (3) enhancing funding for circular economy investments and establishing dedicated financing mechanisms for that purpose, (4) developing environmental, social and governance (ESG) and circularity metrics which drive investment decisions towards sustainability, (5) facilitating a localised transition by harnessing regional resources to shorten value chains (6) ensuring that the transition process is just and inclusive for the Global South by supporting reverse logistics and globally applied extended producer responsibility (EPR) standards, (7) using the public awareness momentum created by the plastics crisis to draw attention to the circular economy imperative, and (8) creating a platform for sharing of best practices in circular policy design, implementation and monitoring

2. T20 Policy Brief 2021: Localising the circular economy imperative in a post Covid-19 era: place, trade and multilateralism:

Resource extraction and consumption is projected to double by 2060. However, today only 8.6% of raw materials extracted are put back into circulation, which worsens pressure on ecosystems, intensifies pollution and waste issues, and accelerates climate change. The transition from a linear to a circular economy opens a pathway for a green, more sustainableand resource-conscious future. To this end, we recommend that the Group of Twenty (G20): (1) acknowledges the value of circular cities for the G20, (2) embeds circularity into multinational supply chains, (3) boosts circularity through digitalisation and (4) implements a just transition through context-sensitive, localised approaches.

 

The Circular Economy Solutions Dialogue (CESD) was an initiative (2021-2022) implemented by the GIZ in co-operation with the GSI on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) to inspire a conducive circular economy (CE) narrative feeding into the G/T20 process. It promoted a discussion on existing, scalable, innovative solutions to devise context-sensitive strategies for their broad implementation and bring together high-level circular economy global experts to act as a catalyst and amplify related messages.
The CESD spanned across three thematic cycles:
CESD 1: Bending the Linear Agenda: Circular Economy Policy Instruments, Business Models and Technology Uptake in the Plastics Value Chain.
CESD 2: From Global Value Chains to a Global Circular Economy: Mapping the Journey
CESD 3: Localizing the circular economy imperative – What is at stake for cities?

 

Both policy briefs can be downloaded here.