Resource efficiency may be missing from ‘circular economy’ plans

A resource efficiency target included in a draft Commission proposal to encourage recycling may be removed, according to people working on the file.

The European Commission is preparing to unveil a strategy on the ‘circular economy’ – encouraging a society that re-uses resources rather than throwing them away.

But environmental campaigners are worried that the strategy will be missing one key element – a definite target for improving the European Union’s resource efficiency.

The draft, which has recently been submitted for review by the Commission’s environment unit to other departments, sets goals of increasing average EU recycling rates to 70% and eliminate landfill by 2030. But a resource efficiency target included in the draft is likely to be removed during the consultation process, according to insiders.

A group of experts in resource efficiency has advised the Commission on this issue, and has suggested a target of doubling resource efficiency to 30%, from a 15% baseline, by 2030. But there has been disagreement about how to measure this concept. The group has recommended that it be based on gross domestic product divided by raw material use, but many in industry say there is insufficient scientific data to establish a fixed target.

The idea of setting a target for resource efficiency has been popular with the European Parliament and if it is removed from the final Commission proposal MEPs may try to reinstate it. But such a move is likely to run into opposition from member states, which are wary of any additional EU targets.

The proposal, to be published in early July, is also expected to contain a target for reducing marine litter, and will be accompanied by policy papers on sustainable food and green employment, as well as two studies on the effectiveness of existing EU waste policy.

The need for re-use and resource efficiency has become more urgent in the face of dwindling resources worldwide. A report released on Saturday (7 June) by the United Nations Environment Programme concluded that rapidly rising prices – metal prices up by 176% and energy prices by 260% since 2000 – signalled a potentially crippling trend of increasing costs as current consumption patterns deplete global renewable resources.

“The negative effects of unsustainable use of natural resources are already being felt,” the UNEP report said. However, it added that there was huge potential to slow this trend by implementing efficiency measures. Energy demand for most production and utility systems could potentially be reduced by 50%-80% through improved efficiency, UNEP concluded.

It was commercially viable to achieve a 60%-80% improvement in energy and water efficiency in sectors such as construction, agriculture, hospitality, industry and transport, UNEP said.

“The worldwide use of natural resources has accelerated – annual material extraction grew by a factor of eight through the 20th century – causing severe environmental damage and depletion of natural resources,” said Achim Steiner, the executive director of UNEP. “This requires an urgent rethink of current practices, backed by a massive investment in technological, financial and social innovation.”

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