english

IKEA, a global leader in the home furnishing retail market aims to become circular by 2030. Together with the CSCP, IKEA Germany took a deeper look at the national market for circular business.

What has begun decades ago as a pioneer journey based on the idea of using and reusing resources as often, in as many ways, and for as long as possible, has grown into a leading vision of production and consumption: the Circular Economy. The EU Commission is pushing for more circularity through comprehensive policy packages like the Circular Economy Action Plan and by setting incentives for investors to promote circular businesses through new financial frameworks like the EU Taxonomy. The “Right to Repair” is currently one of the most discussed European policy topics and since January 2021, France is the first country in Europe to have implemented a repairability index for electronic devices. Consumers and civil society actors are welcoming such development, signalling their readiness to experiment with new business models. Still, many important questions are to be answered: is the Circular Economy sustainable by default? How can supply chain actors that stretch across continents be aligned on the circularity journey? What about social aspects related to the Circular Economy?

Taking the home furnishing branch as an example, our analysis revealed that the German market contributes by far the most to the furniture waste in Europe. In 2017, the European Environmental Bureau estimated that 2,2 million tons of waste are generated annually in Germany alone, with France ranking second with around 1,5 million tons. This is why the role of large players in the field, like IKEA, is essential in leading the way toward home furniture retail that creates more value and less waste.

In Germany, IKEA is currently developing its business so that it can meet changing consumer demands in order to prolong product lifespans and accelerate the transition to zero waste in stores and other customer meeting points. With this goal in mind, IKEA Germany approached the CSCP for support in carrying out a situational analysis of the German Circular Economy market. Key questions we intended to answer in the analysis included: What are the most recent but also long-term macro developments in politics and society? What specific trends can be identified in the German market itself with regard to retail and home furnishing? What can be learned from the respective findings with regard to IKEA’s Circular Economy strategy?

The analysis reveals that there is growing political momentum to push forward on Circular Economy solutions both on a European as well as German level and that there is an equally increasing pressure from civil society actors not only to accelerate the transition but also pay attention to aspects such as transparency, fairness, and inclusion in the supply chain. With regard to consumers, results of the analysis show that consumers expect to not only be inspired to turn around their consumption habits, but also be empowered and enabled to endorse circular products and services.

By making a clear commitment to become circular by 2030, IKEA is sending a clear message and leading the way for other companies in the home furnishing branch to follow. Mainstreaming the Circular Economy is not a task for one actor; rather it is about each actor taking responsibility and engaging with others in the sector and in the value chain to employ circular solutions for more sustainability.

For further questions, please contact Rosa Strube.

Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash.

 

The post On the Road to Circular Home Furnishing With IKEA Germany appeared first on CSCP gGmbH.

Over the last two decades, national development agencies have committed to results-based approaches and to putting evidence at the centre of their decision-making. For evidence “optimists”, this is a much-needed corrective to past practice; in contrast, “pessimists” worry about ideology masquerading as science, and results-based approaches contributing to the further depoliticisation of development. This paper argues that reality falls somewhere in between these two extreme interpretations, and that the experiences of development organisations are varied enough to warrant further interrogation, not into whether evidence shapes policymaking, but into how it does so, and whose evidence matters most. The paper seeks to address these questions through an analytical framework that highlights the process of contestation between evidence agendas against a backdrop of policy complexity, professional barriers, and organisational incentives. A brief review of evidence from development cooperation agencies – with spotlight cases from Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom – reveals that institutionalisation and entrepreneurship play a critical role in enabling and shaping evidence-based policymaking. This leads to clear implications for practitioners, whose focus should be not only on getting the right kind of evidence, but on getting the politics of evidence right.

Over the last two decades, national development agencies have committed to results-based approaches and to putting evidence at the centre of their decision-making. For evidence “optimists”, this is a much-needed corrective to past practice; in contrast, “pessimists” worry about ideology masquerading as science, and results-based approaches contributing to the further depoliticisation of development. This paper argues that reality falls somewhere in between these two extreme interpretations, and that the experiences of development organisations are varied enough to warrant further interrogation, not into whether evidence shapes policymaking, but into how it does so, and whose evidence matters most. The paper seeks to address these questions through an analytical framework that highlights the process of contestation between evidence agendas against a backdrop of policy complexity, professional barriers, and organisational incentives. A brief review of evidence from development cooperation agencies – with spotlight cases from Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom – reveals that institutionalisation and entrepreneurship play a critical role in enabling and shaping evidence-based policymaking. This leads to clear implications for practitioners, whose focus should be not only on getting the right kind of evidence, but on getting the politics of evidence right.

Bonn, 13.02.2023. Die neue Afrika-Strategie des BMZ stärkt den Aufbau einer sozial-ökologischen Wirtschaft. Teil davon ist die Kreislaufwirtschaft, die im Rahmen der ökologischen Strukturpolitik der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit viel unbeachtetes Potenzial für grüne Jobs und Ressourcenschonung birgt, auch jenseits von Afrika. Die Umstellung auf eine Kreislaufwirtschaft hat in der EU bereits begonnen, was sich auch negativ auf Partnerländer auswirken kann. Für diese positiven und negativen Potenziale braucht die deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit eine Strategie.

Kreislaufwirtschaft umfasst deutlich mehr als Abfallwirtschaft und Recycling. Der Begriff beschreibt ein System nachhaltiger Produktion und Konsums, in dem Rohmaterialien, Komponenten und Produkte möglichst lange möglichst viel Wert behalten, so dass vom Produktdesign bis zum Abfall geschlossene Kreise entstehen. Als Querschnittsthema hat dieser Prozess vielfache Anknüpfungsmöglichkeiten an andere Felder, wie globale Lieferketten, nachhaltige Landwirtschaft oder Ressourceneffizienz (Energie, Wasser, Rohmaterialien und Biomasse). Neue Trends wie modulares Bauen, digitale Materialverfolgung oder Produkt-als-Service-Systeme, wie z.B. die Miete von Maschinen oder Elektronik statt ihr Kauf, gehören ebenfalls dazu.

Auf Zirkularität ausgelegte Wirtschaftsansätze in Unternehmen können Ressourcenkreisläufe auf verschiedene Weisen verändern. Vielfach steht das Recycling im Vordergrund. Jedoch können auch andere Ansätze den Kreislauf verlangsamen oder verengen, wie die Verlängerung des Produktlebenszyklus oder ein geringer Ressourcenverbrauch. Die Unterstützung solcher Ansätze könnte für Partnerländer der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit interessant sein, z.B. beim Aufbau von Baumaterial- und Reparaturstandards in Ruanda oder der Rückführung von Rohstoffen in der Landwirtschaft.

Entsprechende Maßnahmen sollten beschäftigungswirksam sein und mögliche negative Auswirkungen der globalen Umstellung von einer linearen auf eine zirkuläre Wirtschaftsweise antizipieren. Hierbei gilt es, systematischer an verwandte Programme anzuknüpfen, neue Geschäftsmodelle zu erkennen und smart Sektoren zu selektieren - ohne in die Fallen eines schnelllebigen Schlagwortes zu tappen.

Vorteile der Kreislaufwirtschaft für Partnerländer

Für die Partnerländer ist die Unterstützung zirkulärer Wirtschaftsansätze vor allem dann relevant, wenn diese lokale Ressourcen schonen, neue Arbeitsplätze angemessener Qualität schaffen und Produkte nicht (wesentlich) teurer machen. In Ländern mit geringen Arbeitskosten und hoher Unterbeschäftigung ist es dabei besonders effizient, Dinge zu reparieren und zu recyceln. Dies findet bisher vielfach unsystematisch und aus Zwängen der Armut statt, in prekären Arbeitsverhältnissen und mit unklaren Wirkungen auf die Umwelt. Hier können Kreislaufwirtschaftsprogramme ansetzen.

Die Förderung beschäftigungsintensiver Kreislaufwirtschaft in Partnerländern, insbesondere entsprechender Geschäftsmodelle in Unternehmen, kann den in der EU begonnenen Wandel zu zirkulären Produktionsweisen positiv antizipieren. Dieser Wandel hat aber auch Kosten für Entwicklungsländer, beispielsweise durch höhere Anforderungen an Produktstandards und veränderte Handelsströme. Er kann die Exportchancen für Partnerländer verringern, wenn für die Produktion weniger Rohstoffe notwendig werden. Zudem reduziert eine längere Produktlebensdauer den Bedarf an kurzlebigen Massenkonsumgütern, v.a. aus Asien. Dadurch gehen zwar absehbar Arbeitsplätze verloren, können aber durch den rechtzeitigen Aufbau grüner Dienstleistungssektoren aufgefangen werden.

Mehr grüne Jobs durch Kreislaufwirtschaft

Die Schaffung von Jobs erfordert mehr als die Reduktion finanzieller Risiken für Unternehmen und Investoren. Bisher gibt es vor allem viele informelle Jobs in der Müllsammlung und -wiederverwertung. Doch in einer Reihe von Sektoren ist die Entstehung weiterer grüner Jobs durch verändertes Produktdesign und Verlängerung der Produktlebensdauer wahrscheinlich. So beispielsweise in der nachhaltigen Bauwirtschaft sowie bei Dienstleistungen im Rahmen sogenannter Produkt-als-Service Systeme. Diese basieren auf der (App-gesteuerten) Miete eines Produkts und beinhalten neben dessen Nutzung auch Instandhaltung und eine vertraglich vereinbarte Leistung an Qualität und Nachhaltigkeit, z.B. bei der Miete grüner Klimaanlagen oder beim Leasing von Chemikalien in der Industrie. Um diese Dienstleistungen auszubauen, sind Maßnahmen zur Unterstützung und Akzeptanz sowohl bei Unternehmen als auch Konsumenten erforderlich.

Reparatur- und Instandsetzungsservices, Remanufacturing und Second-Hand Märkte existieren vielfach bereits, können jedoch noch ausgebaut und systematisiert werden, zum Beispiel durch die Einführung von Normen, Standards und Qualifizierung. Auch hier zeichnen sich neue Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten ab.

Um grüne Jobs zu schaffen, braucht der Privatsektor förderliche Rahmenbedingungen, die eine umfassendere ökologische Strukturpolitik auch jenseits des Finanzsektors herstellen können. Die Integration von Kreislaufwirtschaft in die Umsetzung einer ökologischen Strukturpolitik kann sich sowohl in Afrika als auch in anderen Partnerländern in Hinblick auf grüne Jobs lohnen, wenn über Abfall und Recycling hinausgedacht wird. Sie ist ferner notwendig, um absehbare globale Nachteile rechtzeitig auszugleichen.

Bonn, 13.02.2023. Die neue Afrika-Strategie des BMZ stärkt den Aufbau einer sozial-ökologischen Wirtschaft. Teil davon ist die Kreislaufwirtschaft, die im Rahmen der ökologischen Strukturpolitik der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit viel unbeachtetes Potenzial für grüne Jobs und Ressourcenschonung birgt, auch jenseits von Afrika. Die Umstellung auf eine Kreislaufwirtschaft hat in der EU bereits begonnen, was sich auch negativ auf Partnerländer auswirken kann. Für diese positiven und negativen Potenziale braucht die deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit eine Strategie.

Kreislaufwirtschaft umfasst deutlich mehr als Abfallwirtschaft und Recycling. Der Begriff beschreibt ein System nachhaltiger Produktion und Konsums, in dem Rohmaterialien, Komponenten und Produkte möglichst lange möglichst viel Wert behalten, so dass vom Produktdesign bis zum Abfall geschlossene Kreise entstehen. Als Querschnittsthema hat dieser Prozess vielfache Anknüpfungsmöglichkeiten an andere Felder, wie globale Lieferketten, nachhaltige Landwirtschaft oder Ressourceneffizienz (Energie, Wasser, Rohmaterialien und Biomasse). Neue Trends wie modulares Bauen, digitale Materialverfolgung oder Produkt-als-Service-Systeme, wie z.B. die Miete von Maschinen oder Elektronik statt ihr Kauf, gehören ebenfalls dazu.

Auf Zirkularität ausgelegte Wirtschaftsansätze in Unternehmen können Ressourcenkreisläufe auf verschiedene Weisen verändern. Vielfach steht das Recycling im Vordergrund. Jedoch können auch andere Ansätze den Kreislauf verlangsamen oder verengen, wie die Verlängerung des Produktlebenszyklus oder ein geringer Ressourcenverbrauch. Die Unterstützung solcher Ansätze könnte für Partnerländer der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit interessant sein, z.B. beim Aufbau von Baumaterial- und Reparaturstandards in Ruanda oder der Rückführung von Rohstoffen in der Landwirtschaft.

Entsprechende Maßnahmen sollten beschäftigungswirksam sein und mögliche negative Auswirkungen der globalen Umstellung von einer linearen auf eine zirkuläre Wirtschaftsweise antizipieren. Hierbei gilt es, systematischer an verwandte Programme anzuknüpfen, neue Geschäftsmodelle zu erkennen und smart Sektoren zu selektieren - ohne in die Fallen eines schnelllebigen Schlagwortes zu tappen.

Vorteile der Kreislaufwirtschaft für Partnerländer

Für die Partnerländer ist die Unterstützung zirkulärer Wirtschaftsansätze vor allem dann relevant, wenn diese lokale Ressourcen schonen, neue Arbeitsplätze angemessener Qualität schaffen und Produkte nicht (wesentlich) teurer machen. In Ländern mit geringen Arbeitskosten und hoher Unterbeschäftigung ist es dabei besonders effizient, Dinge zu reparieren und zu recyceln. Dies findet bisher vielfach unsystematisch und aus Zwängen der Armut statt, in prekären Arbeitsverhältnissen und mit unklaren Wirkungen auf die Umwelt. Hier können Kreislaufwirtschaftsprogramme ansetzen.

Die Förderung beschäftigungsintensiver Kreislaufwirtschaft in Partnerländern, insbesondere entsprechender Geschäftsmodelle in Unternehmen, kann den in der EU begonnenen Wandel zu zirkulären Produktionsweisen positiv antizipieren. Dieser Wandel hat aber auch Kosten für Entwicklungsländer, beispielsweise durch höhere Anforderungen an Produktstandards und veränderte Handelsströme. Er kann die Exportchancen für Partnerländer verringern, wenn für die Produktion weniger Rohstoffe notwendig werden. Zudem reduziert eine längere Produktlebensdauer den Bedarf an kurzlebigen Massenkonsumgütern, v.a. aus Asien. Dadurch gehen zwar absehbar Arbeitsplätze verloren, können aber durch den rechtzeitigen Aufbau grüner Dienstleistungssektoren aufgefangen werden.

Mehr grüne Jobs durch Kreislaufwirtschaft

Die Schaffung von Jobs erfordert mehr als die Reduktion finanzieller Risiken für Unternehmen und Investoren. Bisher gibt es vor allem viele informelle Jobs in der Müllsammlung und -wiederverwertung. Doch in einer Reihe von Sektoren ist die Entstehung weiterer grüner Jobs durch verändertes Produktdesign und Verlängerung der Produktlebensdauer wahrscheinlich. So beispielsweise in der nachhaltigen Bauwirtschaft sowie bei Dienstleistungen im Rahmen sogenannter Produkt-als-Service Systeme. Diese basieren auf der (App-gesteuerten) Miete eines Produkts und beinhalten neben dessen Nutzung auch Instandhaltung und eine vertraglich vereinbarte Leistung an Qualität und Nachhaltigkeit, z.B. bei der Miete grüner Klimaanlagen oder beim Leasing von Chemikalien in der Industrie. Um diese Dienstleistungen auszubauen, sind Maßnahmen zur Unterstützung und Akzeptanz sowohl bei Unternehmen als auch Konsumenten erforderlich.

Reparatur- und Instandsetzungsservices, Remanufacturing und Second-Hand Märkte existieren vielfach bereits, können jedoch noch ausgebaut und systematisiert werden, zum Beispiel durch die Einführung von Normen, Standards und Qualifizierung. Auch hier zeichnen sich neue Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten ab.

Um grüne Jobs zu schaffen, braucht der Privatsektor förderliche Rahmenbedingungen, die eine umfassendere ökologische Strukturpolitik auch jenseits des Finanzsektors herstellen können. Die Integration von Kreislaufwirtschaft in die Umsetzung einer ökologischen Strukturpolitik kann sich sowohl in Afrika als auch in anderen Partnerländern in Hinblick auf grüne Jobs lohnen, wenn über Abfall und Recycling hinausgedacht wird. Sie ist ferner notwendig, um absehbare globale Nachteile rechtzeitig auszugleichen.

By Ruth Kagia

“It is within the possibility of science and technology to make even the Sahara bloom into a vast field with verdant vegetation for agricultural and industrial developments.”

Former President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah’s statement above on the promise of science and technology is as pertinent today as it was in 1963. It is indeed breakthroughs in science and technology, driven by a workforce skilled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), that will enable Africa to overcome crippling development challenges including climate change, food insecurity, inequality, and poverty. And the one-fifth of the global population under the age of 25 who currently reside in sub-Saharan Africa will need STEM skills to drive economic transformation and competitiveness.

STEM education inculcates problem-solving, critical-thinking, communications, collaboration, and digital skills. Young people need these skills to build the resilience to navigate an uncertain future where technological advances will fundamentally alter industries and eliminate about one-half of the jobs today.

The STEM education landscape in Africa is characterized by risk and opportunity. While effectiveness is hampered by resource and capacity constraints, opportunity lies in centers of excellence and promising pathways of policy and practice.

The Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) provides the regional STEM policy framework. Centres of excellence such as the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), provide implementation support to countries. And with varying degrees of success, at least 10 countries, are implementing a competency-based curriculum (CBC) which emphasizes inquiry-based learning, STEM, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). For example, coding and computer programming is part of the CBC digital learning program in Kenya.

You cannot code without basic numeracy, neither can you innovate if you lack the basic skills to acquire and apply knowledge.

Low education quality is however a binding constraint. And yet, even before the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation, more than 50 percent of children in basic education in sub-Saharan Africa were unable to read and understand a simple age-appropriate story.

A critical first step towards improving STEM education, therefore, is to get the basics right. We can achieve vast improvements in strengthening foundational skills by integrating into teaching and learning: new and exciting knowledge on the science of learning, and recent evidence from neuroscience on how the human mind works.

There are also huge benefits to achieving universal basic skills. It would raise future world GDP by $700 trillion over the remainder of the century which would be transformative for low-income countries.

Recent studies (ADEA and ACET 2022), indicate that the two greatest constraints to STEM education are inadequate facilities and sub-optimal teacher classroom practices. Schools can provide minimum STEM and other facilities if countries allocate at least 20 percent of their budget to education.

In the countries surveyed, STEM and computer labs exist but less than half of them are functional, while a lack of facilities inhibits practical training. Second, the STEM gender gap widens progressively through school in part because of under representation of female STEM teachers. In Ghana, only 5 percent of STEM teachers in the upper grades are female. Less than 25 percent of students pursue STEM-related career fields in higher education in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of a compounding of these issues reduces.

Closing the gender gap in STEM education is a “best buy.” Women are key to addressing the existential challenges that face the continent. They account for 60 percent of the farmers in Africa and are the primary providers of water and firewood. With strong STEM skills, women could be at the vanguard of environmental sustainability and adoption of agricultural technology. A quantum leap in child survival, national health, and education attainment could be achieved if women as the gatekeepers to child health and family welfare obtain at least 12 years of science-driven basic education.

Successful interventions include targeted scholarships, mentorship using role models, and early exposure to STEM based career opportunities. Moreover, through digital technology, students in resource constrained environments can tap into expert STEM training. Rwanda’s One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC) flagship program, Kenya’s digital learning program, the university of Colorado science simulation program, PhET, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) such as EdX, have demonstrated the leapfrogging potential of digital learning.

But we can go even further to nurture and build upon these green shoots that are sprouting on the continent by:

• Creating an interactive classroom-industry interface. Kenya has over 1,000 start-ups that could provide such an interface to give students relevant work exposure, sharpen their focus, and raise their ambition in STEM.
• Nurturing and rewarding excellence in STEM. Africa is brimming with creative, home grown innovations. Norah Magero’s Vaccibox, a small, mobile, solar-powered fridge that safely stores and transports medicines, for use in remote clinics and Charlot Magayi’s Mukuru Clean Stoves, which uses processed biomass to create 90 percent less pollution than an open fire, demonstrate the huge reservoir of talent in the continent. These two women innovators from Kenya have recently won international awards. Competitions such as the Young Scientists Kenya (YSK), which aim to catalyze and spotlight the quality of STEM, have proved useful in tapping into the innovative energy of secondary school students.
• And finally, we need to strengthen the training of STEM trainers. We can do so by providing targeted financing incentives to higher education institutions that offer STEM programs. Furthermore, we need to reinvigorate and protect specialization of universities, such as the Technical University of Kenya or Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology and Agriculture, that were originally designed as centers of excellence in STEM.

      

By Rachel Morris, Policy Analyst – Financing for Sustainable Development and Joseph Stead, Senior Policy Analyst – Tax and Development, Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD

Faced with the worst economic downturn since World War II, developing country governments are scrambling to maximise resources to stay afloat. During the COVID-19 pandemic, developing countries took a massive hit to their government revenues: USD 689 billion fewer revenues were generated in 2019 compared to 2020. The poorest countries are now faced with an increasing gap to finance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to higher financing needs and fewer resources to spend on recovery. In addition to declining government revenues, increasing pressures on available foreign aid mean that resources to avoid debt and climate crises are stretched.
With government revenues in developing countries expected to remain almost 20% below pre-pandemic levels, every penny counts, especially those coming from tax revenues. But tax exemptions can stand in the way of maximising tax revenues.

The post Stopping the leaks: a fresh look at tax breaks for foreign aid appeared first on Development Matters.

This policy brief examines actions for a just transition of local job markets in developing countries. We identify building blocks for shifting from carbon-intensive towards green jobs in this transition. Green jobs in cities are key to ensure a just transition of local employment markets, both formal and informal, and make cities function more sustainably. They are part of a wider inclusive green economy aiming at carbon-neutrality and resource efficiency with a focus on human well-being and social equity while paying special attention to local nature-based solutions. The transition will create winners and losers. Both need to be managed if the process and outcomes are to be just. 

see also:
Green jobs in cities: challenges and opportunities in African and Asian intermediary cities
(Discussion Paper 7/2022)

This policy brief examines actions for a just transition of local job markets in developing countries. We identify building blocks for shifting from carbon-intensive towards green jobs in this transition. Green jobs in cities are key to ensure a just transition of local employment markets, both formal and informal, and make cities function more sustainably. They are part of a wider inclusive green economy aiming at carbon-neutrality and resource efficiency with a focus on human well-being and social equity while paying special attention to local nature-based solutions. The transition will create winners and losers. Both need to be managed if the process and outcomes are to be just. 

see also:
Green jobs in cities: challenges and opportunities in African and Asian intermediary cities
(Discussion Paper 7/2022)

: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 HH:mm:ss
Road traffic offers important leverage in the fight against climate change. The African island nation of Cabo Verde is putting its faith in across-the-board electric mobility.

As Asia-Pacific struggles to cope with COVID-19, a global recession, and existing development challenges, it is imperative that aid must be used effectively and efficiently. Initiatives for monitoring and analyzing the quantity and quality of aid in the region must be scaled up in order to ensure the transparency and accountability of donors and development institutions. Impacts of development projects that serve to worsen existing inequalities must also be exposed, as the vulnerable and marginalized […]

The post Reality of Aid – Asia Pacific launches fresh data on the CSO Aid Observatorio platform appeared first on Reality of Aid.

In her last annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament, European Commission President von der Leyen called for a rethink of the EU’s foreign policy agenda. Reflecting on the global implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she considered that “this is the time to invest in the power of democracies”. Although “our friends in every single democratic nation on this globe” form a core group of like-minded partners with which the EU seeks to shape global goods, von der Leyen also recognised the need to engage beyond the EU’s democratic partners – including through its Global Gateway infrastructure investment initiative. The EU’s efforts to become energy-independent from Russia underlines the need for a broad engagement, but also highlights the challenge of doing so in a way that is consistent with its democracy promotion commitments. One example of this tension was von der Leyen’s presence at the opening of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria pipeline that enables direct gas imports from Azerbaijanregime has been accused of carrying out an extensive crackdown on civil and political liberties in recent years. The EU’s credibility and effectiveness as a democracy promotion actor requires awareness of this tension between its commitment to democracy and its economic interests.

In her last annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament, European Commission President von der Leyen called for a rethink of the EU’s foreign policy agenda. Reflecting on the global implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she considered that “this is the time to invest in the power of democracies”. Although “our friends in every single democratic nation on this globe” form a core group of like-minded partners with which the EU seeks to shape global goods, von der Leyen also recognised the need to engage beyond the EU’s democratic partners – including through its Global Gateway infrastructure investment initiative. The EU’s efforts to become energy-independent from Russia underlines the need for a broad engagement, but also highlights the challenge of doing so in a way that is consistent with its democracy promotion commitments. One example of this tension was von der Leyen’s presence at the opening of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria pipeline that enables direct gas imports from Azerbaijanregime has been accused of carrying out an extensive crackdown on civil and political liberties in recent years. The EU’s credibility and effectiveness as a democracy promotion actor requires awareness of this tension between its commitment to democracy and its economic interests.

The EU is insistent on combatting the ‘root causes’ of migration. Yet this has led it to overlook other reasons why people leave their homeland. Niels Keijzer and Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood argue these include the threatened livelihoods of coastal communities in the Gulf of Guinea. Among the many crises confronting the European Union, you might easily overlook the demographic one it faces at home. The EU's population is ageing rapidly. Between 2001 and 2021, the percentage of its citizens aged 65 and over increased from 5% to 21%. Meanwhile, the proportion of young people under 20 decreased by 3%, to 20%. Since the 1990s, net migration to the EU has been the main driver of the Union’s continuing population growth. Given these demographics, and given that the EU derives most of its global standing as the world's largest trade bloc, one might rationally expect the EU to consider migration policy a key tool to retain and consolidate this position. Yet migration policy is strongly contested in the European Union. And this is largely due to important differences between its 27 member states, who retain policy competencies on immigration policy. Currently, the EU’s desired New Pact on Migration and Asylum remains a distant dream rather than a political reality.

The EU is insistent on combatting the ‘root causes’ of migration. Yet this has led it to overlook other reasons why people leave their homeland. Niels Keijzer and Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood argue these include the threatened livelihoods of coastal communities in the Gulf of Guinea. Among the many crises confronting the European Union, you might easily overlook the demographic one it faces at home. The EU's population is ageing rapidly. Between 2001 and 2021, the percentage of its citizens aged 65 and over increased from 5% to 21%. Meanwhile, the proportion of young people under 20 decreased by 3%, to 20%. Since the 1990s, net migration to the EU has been the main driver of the Union’s continuing population growth. Given these demographics, and given that the EU derives most of its global standing as the world's largest trade bloc, one might rationally expect the EU to consider migration policy a key tool to retain and consolidate this position. Yet migration policy is strongly contested in the European Union. And this is largely due to important differences between its 27 member states, who retain policy competencies on immigration policy. Currently, the EU’s desired New Pact on Migration and Asylum remains a distant dream rather than a political reality.

Despite the great potential of the Circular Economy to achieve sustainability goals, its share in the global economy is only about 7.2% so far (Circularity Gap 2023). Consumers can help change this trend if they are empowered and enabled accordingly. On 28 February 2023, the CSCP joins businesses, civil society organisations (CSOs), and researchers to discuss how we can make circular consumer behaviour a reality with the support of digital tools. The workshop “Accelerating Circular Behaviours: How Can Digitalisation Help Us?” will be hosted by the CSCP within the framework of the Annual Conference of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.

Changes in consumption behaviours and dominant lifestyles are increasingly recognised as one of the key levers for enabling the transition to a Circular Economy (EEA, 2019). However, the majority of studies and strategies on the Circular Economy are still framed from a production and business model perspective, while the level of public engagement is still relatively low and the role of people in the process is largely overlooked (Selvefors, 2019; van den Berge et al., 2021).

What are the missing pieces in the puzzle in order to mainstream circular behaviours among the majority of consumers in Europe? What can stakeholders such as retailers, city representatives, policymakers and CSOs do to support circular behaviours among consumers? How can digitalisation play a supporting role in this process, particularly considering the increasing EU focus on digital tools, such as the Digital Product Passport, supporting Apps and the role of Artificial Intelligence?

At the Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference, we aim to share insights from the collaboration of the ECESP Leadership Group on enabling circular behaviours through digitalisation and facilitate a dialogue between different actors on real-life cases. The aim is to highlight successful examples of digital interventions and to identify options for stakeholders. This becomes especially relevant when looking at current developments such as the Green Claims, where digital tools will likely play a supporting role.

Event: Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference
Date: 28 February 2023
Time: 15:15 – 16:16 CEST
Language: English
Costs: Free of charge

To join the event, please register here.

The workshop is part of the ECESP Annual Conference 2023: Recovery, Open Strategic Autonomy and Resilience, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Commission. The conference will take place on 27-28 February 2023 in a hybrid mode and will focus on the role of the Circular Economy in driving sustainable recovery and strengthening resilience.

For further questions, please contact Imke Schmidt.

The post Accelerating Circular Behaviours: Join Our Workshop at the Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference on 28 February 2023! appeared first on CSCP gGmbH.

The Doha action plan adopted last year, offers a “blueprint” to lift the world’s least developed nations out of poverty amid the ongoing global financial downturn, the UN General Assembly President said on Wednesday.

In 2024, the UN will convene the Summit of the Future on the theme, ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.’ The Summit’s aim is to reinforce the UN and global governance structures to better address old and new challenges and to formulate a Pact for the Future that would help advance the SDGs by 2030. Already before the SDG Summit in September this year (the so-called mid-term review of the Goals’ implementation), it is clear that, unless the pressure and pace are drastically increased, many Goals will not be achieved. Therefore, UN Secretary-General António Guterres conceives of the Pact for the Future as “a booster shot for the SDGs.” At the SDG Summit, Member States could define the areas where they want to make progress (the what), while strengthening multilateral capacities to do so at the Summit of the Future (the how), while also addressing gaps and new risks.

In 2024, the UN will convene the Summit of the Future on the theme, ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.’ The Summit’s aim is to reinforce the UN and global governance structures to better address old and new challenges and to formulate a Pact for the Future that would help advance the SDGs by 2030. Already before the SDG Summit in September this year (the so-called mid-term review of the Goals’ implementation), it is clear that, unless the pressure and pace are drastically increased, many Goals will not be achieved. Therefore, UN Secretary-General António Guterres conceives of the Pact for the Future as “a booster shot for the SDGs.” At the SDG Summit, Member States could define the areas where they want to make progress (the what), while strengthening multilateral capacities to do so at the Summit of the Future (the how), while also addressing gaps and new risks.