Circular Economy Hub will hold Circular X on “Looking back at 2023 from the perspective of circular economy”

Since 2021, Circular Economy Hub has been holding its monthly Circular X Series, a study program in which participants can learn about the future image of the circular economy spreading in various industries and fields.

This month, we will present an online installment in which members of our editorial team look back on the past year from the perspective of the circular economy.

Global geopolitical risks in energy and resource supply, triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are set to be further heightened by the clash between Israel and Hamas as we enter 2023. This summer, the world’s average temperature reached a new record high, and we experienced firsthand the beginning of the “global boiling” era that marks the end of the “global warming” era.

With the international spread of potential instability in both the environment and society, what developments have taken place in 2023 in relation to the circular economy? We will look back on the following topics.

Developments in CE-related legislation in the EU

We will provide an overview of EU related laws and regulations directly related to the promotion of the circular economy, including the Right to Repair (Directive on common rules to promote product repair) and the new Battery Regulation, which regulates the entire life cycle of batteries from manufacturing, reuse, and recycling.

Trends in Japan

A comprehensive policy package based on Japan’s CE policy, “Circular Economy Vision 2020,” entitled “Growth-Oriented Resource Autonomous Economy Strategy,” was formulated this spring. We will examine what the measures in this strategy mean, while also relating them to global trends.

Review of important themes for 2023

1. Circular economy x biodiversity

Following the official release of the framework requiring disclosure of information on the relationship between business activities and nature (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures TNFD), we will examine how the demand for disclosure on biodiversity and environmental restoration will affect the promotion of the circular economy.

2. Circular economy x digital data

We will introduce how far the use of digital data to visualize the circularity of materials and products in the supply chain, which is indispensable for the realization of the circular economy, has progressed in Japan and abroad.

3. Circular economy x degrowth

Many of the circular economy policies of countries around the world are positioned as a means to counter global warming and to achieve economic growth that must be realized under resource constraints. However, there is a movement to question this form of circular economy and to seek a circular economy that rethinks the social system. This presentation will discuss what we felt through our observation and reporting in Europe, based on the episodes we covered in our research.

Event Time / Date: 5:00 pm (JST) – / December 21

[Reference] “Looking back at 2023 from the perspective of circular economy” will be held on 12/21 | Circular Economy Hub (in Japanese)

[Related Site]Circular Economy Hub (in Japanese)