Open letter: for a holistic vision on circular economy – European Environmental Bureau

Report on the Call for Enhanced Circular Economy Policies Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

A coalition of non-governmental organisations, EU-level organisations, and sustainable businesses has submitted an open letter to Members of the European Parliament. The communication, issued prior to the hearings of EU Commissioner-designate candidates, advocates for the strengthening of circular economy policies. This initiative directly addresses the European Union’s slow progress in its Circular Material Use Rate and urges a renewed commitment to the principles of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The call for a more robust circular economy framework is fundamentally linked to achieving multiple SDGs. By transitioning from a linear to a circular model, the EU can advance on:

• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The core objective is to decouple economic growth from resource depletion by promoting resource efficiency, reducing waste, and encouraging sustainable lifestyles.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): A circular economy reduces greenhouse gas emissions by minimising energy consumption in extraction, processing, and manufacturing, and by preventing emissions from landfills.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): This transition fosters innovation and creates new economic opportunities and green jobs in sectors such as repair, remanufacturing, and recycling.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): A “healthy” circular economy, as advocated for in the letter, aims to eliminate hazardous substances from product life cycles, thereby protecting human health and the environment.

Key Areas for Policy Scrutiny

The letter identifies twelve critical areas for rigorous questioning of EU Commissioner-designate candidates to ensure their commitment to a sustainable future. The key demands highlighted are essential for achieving specific SDG targets:

1. Binding Resource Reduction Targets: This measure is crucial for fulfilling SDG Target 12.2, which calls for the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
2. Improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Frameworks: Enhancing EPR schemes directly supports SDG Target 12.5, which aims to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse by holding producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products.
3. A Healthy Circular Economy: This aligns with SDG Target 3.9 by advocating for the reduction of pollution and the elimination of toxic materials in production cycles, thereby protecting public health.
4. Circular Taxation Systems: Implementing fiscal policies that favour circularity over linearity provides a powerful economic incentive to advance SDG 12, encouraging sustainable business models and consumer choices.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The article’s core focus is on the “circular economy,” which is a central concept for achieving sustainable consumption and production patterns. The call for “stronger circular economy policies,” “binding resource reduction targets,” and improving the “Circular Material Use Rate” directly addresses the principles of this goal.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article’s promotion of a “circular economy” and “circular taxation systems” connects to SDG 8 by advocating for an economic model that decouples economic growth from environmental degradation and resource depletion. This aligns with the goal of improving global resource efficiency.
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article describes an “open letter” created by a “group of NGOs, EU organisations, and sustainable businesses.” This collaboration among different sectors of society to influence policy and advocate for sustainable development is a clear example of the multi-stakeholder partnerships promoted by SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
   • This target is directly addressed by the letter’s demand for “binding resource reduction targets” and its concern over the “minimal improvement” in the EU’s “Circular Material Use Rate,” which measures the efficiency of resource use.
2. Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
   • The call for “improved Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks” is a specific policy mechanism aimed at reducing waste and promoting recycling, directly contributing to this target. The entire concept of a circular economy is foundational to achieving this waste reduction goal.
3. Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.
   • The push for a “circular economy” and “circular taxation systems” represents a strategic effort to restructure the economy to be more resource-efficient, thereby decoupling growth from the consumption of finite resources, as specified in this target.
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The joint action by NGOs, EU organisations, and businesses to petition the European Parliament exemplifies the kind of multi-stakeholder partnership that this target aims to foster.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Circular Material Use Rate
   • This is explicitly mentioned in the article as a key metric. While it is a specific EU indicator, it directly relates to and serves as a proxy for official SDG indicators like 12.2.1 (Material Footprint) and 12.2.2 (Domestic Material Consumption). It measures the share of material resources used which come from recycled waste, thus tracking progress on the efficient use of natural resources (Target 12.2).
2. Resource Reduction Levels
   • The demand for “binding resource reduction targets” implies the need for indicators to measure the overall consumption of resources. This aligns with the purpose of indicators 12.2.1 (Material Footprint) and 8.4.1 (Material Footprint per capita), which track the total amount of raw materials extracted to meet consumption demands.
3. Waste Generation and Recycling Rates
   • While not named as a specific number, the call to improve “Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks” implies the use of indicators related to waste. Progress on Target 12.5 would be measured by indicators tracking the amount of waste generated, recycled, and reused.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: zerowasteeurope.eu