PUBLIC PROCUREMENT NEWS

  

News

19 June 2018

Circular economy will help meet emission reduction targets

A new report on reducing carbon emissions through a circular economy has highlighted the importance of reusing materials in order to cut consumption emissions and meet the emissions targets of the Paris Agreement.

By reusing and recycling four materials which are central to our everyday life - steel, plastic, aluminium and cement -it would be possible for the EU to reduce the carbon footprint of its industry by 56% by 2050 (saving around 300 megatonnes of CO2). The report by Material Economics highlights a range of interventions, including procurement, which could support greater material cycling. 

Public procurers are already discovering the benefits in terms of overall impact and total cost of moving to more circular procurement models, and the European Commission has recognised the role of public procurement in promoting the transition to a circular economy, publishing the Public Procurement for a Circular Economy brochure to provide a range of good practice case studies as well as guidance on integrating circular economy principles into procurement.

For more information on the carbon impacts of materials, read "The Circular Economy - a Powerful Force for Climate Mitigation" here.