World Circular Economy Forum 2024 – what’s in it for Romania? The lessons we need to learn. – Business Review

Report: World Circular Economy Forum 2024

Introduction

By Andreea Nicolae, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at PIVOT-C

The World Circular Economy Forum 2024 (WCEF), held in mid-April in Brussels, provided a wealth of information on sustainability. The event showcased examples of policies, campaigns, and circular businesses from around the world, serving as guidelines for best practices. It also highlighted reports on challenges and solutions, offering recommendations for a sustainable future. The overwhelming conclusion from the forum was that there is hope and we are on the right path towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

People Driving Change

At the WCEF, I had the opportunity to meet thousands of individuals who are actively working towards a circular economy. These included experts, academics, leaders, politicians, businesspeople, thinkers, and doers. They were armed with knowledge and viable projects, filled with energy, and determined to reverse negative trends and promote sustainability.

The Path to a Circular Economy

The transition from a linear economy to a circular one is not a sprint but a marathon that requires a systemic change on a global scale. Collaboration is key, as no single actor can drive this change alone. Efforts must be concerted to achieve a structural transformation of production and consumption.

Romania’s Role in the Circular Economy

Romania, like other countries, has the opportunity to benefit from the shift towards a circular economy. To embrace circularity, Romania needs integrated projects and public-private partnerships, as well as individual action. This includes taking responsibility and making changes at both the personal and societal levels.

Key Takeaways for Romania

• Although Romania currently performs poorly in circularity metrics, there is a significant opportunity for improvement.
• Romania should leverage recommendations from the Circularity in Action Report, which includes sector-specific roadmaps, financial mechanisms, policy harmonization, capacity building, technology transfer, public-private partnerships, consumer awareness campaigns, monitoring and evaluation, innovation hubs, and international cooperation.
• Regional disparities and diversity are key characteristics of the circular economy. Customizable models should be developed to address regional and local needs.
• Collaboration, government support, public-private mechanisms, and champions are essential for advancing circularity.
• Innovation and strategic investments are crucial for achieving circularity and strategic autonomy.
• Circularity requires incentives, reshaping business models, and phasing out unsustainable practices.
• Changes in consumption patterns, performance tracking, and systemic transformation across sectors are necessary for circular shifts.
• Developing a skilled workforce for the circular economy should be a priority.
• Storytelling and narratives should focus on design rather than just recycling.
• Romania needs to address consumer concerns about price, quality, and convenience regarding circular products and services.
• Learning from other countries’ best practices and failures can provide valuable insights. Nordic countries such as Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands are pioneers in sustainability and circularity.

Adapting Best Practices

While there is no perfect model to follow, we can adapt best practices to our own context while learning from the experiences of other states within and outside the EU.

Join the Circular Economy Movement in Romania

To be change makers in Romania, we can join the Romanian hub for circular economy, CIRCULARIO. Together, we can play a key role in facilitating dialogue, identifying projects, and monitoring progress towards achieving the SDGs.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
   • Indicator: Monitoring and evaluation of circular economy initiatives, as mentioned in the article.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavor to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.
   • Indicator: Tracking performance and progress in transitioning to a circular economy.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries.
   • Indicator: Developing a skilled workforce for the circular economy, as mentioned in the article.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
   • Indicator: Consumer awareness campaigns mentioned in the article as part of circular economy initiatives.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.
   • Indicator: Public-private partnerships mentioned in the article as necessary for circular economy initiatives.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Fuente: business-review.eu

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