Circular Economy and Biodiversity

Abstract

The world is facing a triple planetary crisis consisting of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, which pose a major challenge to human health, well-being and prosperity for present and future generations. One of the main reasons for this is our current production and consumption system. Consequently, the entire production and consumption system and the entire value chain of products and services must be considered to minimise those unsustainable levels. Circular economy aims to transform our economy from the current mostly linear take-make-waste model towards a closed-loop model. In doing so, a circular economy can minimise the use of materials and energy, while reducing environmental pressures. This report therefore analyses how circular economy can contribute to halting biodiversity loss. It concludes that while circular economy measures (directly and indirectly) contribute to meeting biodiversity and climate strategic objectives, the combination with biodiversity-friendly sourcing is crucial in order to halt biodiversity loss. © European Topic Centre on Circular economy and resource use, 2022