Binding targets needed for circular economy, MEPs say
MEPs warn that the ‘take-make-dispose’ economy must end and call for measures against greenwashing and false environmental claims.
In order to achieve a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable and fully circular economy by 2050, MEPs have called for clear policy objectives in the EU.
Yesterday (27 January), the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted its report on the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, with 66 votes in favour, six against and seven abstentions.
The plan, which was published in March 2020, is one of the main blocks of the European Green Deal and includes initiatives along the entire life cycle of products from design to consumption.
EU should set 2030 targets for materials use and consumption footprint, MEPs say
The European Parliament s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety has called for science-based binding 2030 EU targets for materials use and consumption footprint, covering the whole lifecycle of each product category placed on the EU market
27 January 2021, 11:38am
by Paul Cocks
The EU needs clear policy objectives to achieve a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050 at the latest, MEPs said on Wednesday.
The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted its report on the new EU Circular Economy Action Plan, with 66 votes in favour, six against and seven abstentions.
Met dank overgenomen van Europees Parlement (EP), gepubliceerd op woensdag 27 januari 2021.
The EU needs clear policy objectives to achieve a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050 at the latest, say MEPs.
On Wednesday, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted its report on the new EU Circular Economy Action Plan, with 66 votes in favour, 6 against and 7 abstentions.
Circular economy principles
MEPs emphasise that the current linear “take-make-dispose” economy must be transformed into a truly circular economy, based on a series of key principles such as preventing waste and reducing energy and resource use. Products should be designed in a way that reduces waste, harmful substances and pollution, and protects human health. The consumer benefits of a circular economy should be made clear, they say.
Switching to a circular economy could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 39% and ease pressure on virgin materials by 28%, according to the Circularity Gap Report, published on Tuesday (26 January).
If those principles were applied, 22.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved and help avoid climate breakdown, according to the study by Circle Economy.
But the report also contained bad news. Only 8.6% of the world’s economy can be considered circular, down from 9.1% two years earlier.
“The circularity gap is widening, and with it, the climate and biodiversity impacts of our extractive economies,” said Gino van Begin, secretary general of ICLEI, a global network of over 1,750 governments committed to sustainable development.
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's environment committee will call for legally-binding targets to reduce raw material use in a report due to be voted on this week.