19 March 2021: EU Circular Talk on Trade, Resource Extraction & Circular Economy

The 19 March EU Circular Talk organized by UNEP International Resource Panel, OVAM, the European Environmental Bureau (EBB), UNEP Environment and Trade Hub and the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) addressed Trade, Resource Extraction & Circular Economy. The event brought together the trade and circular economy communities. It began with opening remarks from Sofie Bouteligier (OVAM) and Francesca Carlsson (EEB) and led into the presentation of the UNEP-IRP report Sustainable Trade in Resources: Global Material Flows, Circularity and Trade.  

Presenting the findings of the report, Christina Bodouroglou (IRP Secretariat, UNEP) noted that over 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress as well as 50% of our climate change impact are linked to resource extraction and processing. The projection for 2060 is a doubling of our current resource extraction to 190 billion tons. She highlighted that current trade flows are draining the resources of many developing countries, with high-income countries tending to act as net importers. "Given that the extraction, the processing, the use, and the disposal of material resources deeply affects the planet's climate, environment, and its resource base, an urgent and very concerted action is needed," she said. She added that “addressing these environmental consequences of extraction and of trade will require nothing short of a global transition to more sustainable and more circular patterns of consumption and production.”

Colette van der Ven (UNEP Consultant, International trade lawyer, Founder & Director of TULIP Consulting) then spoke to the challenges and opportunities afforded by increasing our use of recovered raw materials as opposed to continuing their extraction. She highlighted the importance of aligning domestic, regional, and WTO policies towards raw materials in order to develop an industry around the use of recovered raw materials and underlined the importance of economic diversification for countries relying on exports in raw materials. Recognizing the challenges that smaller businesses might face in transitioning to more circular trade flow and higher standards, she noted that the growth of this industry would also generate new jobs and business opportunities. 

The presentation of the UNEP-IRP report is aimed to feed the EU’s trade policy review and the international community's consideration of the WTO’s development. The presentation of the report was therefore complemented by a presentation on the EU’s trade initiative, delivered by Madelaine Tuininga (European Commission). The trade policy review looks to foster “an open, sustainable and assertive trade policy” to assist the EU in its green-digital transition.  

Event recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA1NeSZISp8