Amid the controversy surrounding the future ‘nature restoration law’, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a note on Monday 12 June showing that the circular economy can help reduce the impact of biodiversity loss in Europe.
In the note, the EEA points out that circular economy practices can help preserve biodiversity by reducing the use of primary resources, preventing pollution and providing a supply of materials based on biodiversity-friendly practices.
To illustrate its point, the note focuses on food products, construction materials and textiles - three sectors that exert considerable pressure on biodiversity and that can amplify the potential of the circular economy to reduce or even reverse biodiversity loss.
Using seaweed for animal feed or as fertiliser for crops, recirculating water from green roofs and using agroforest production methods for textiles are some of the examples of virtuous practices given.
According to the EEA, biodiversity-friendly sourcing should be added to the traditional hierarchy of the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) in actions to promote the circular economy.
The EEA believes that the whole of society should be involved:
- Policymakers need to design policies that ensure strong integration between circular economy actions and biodiversity considerations throughout the life cycle of goods and services;
- Businesses must develop and improve innovations, paying attention to product lifespan, pollution and the supply of materials;
- Consumers can support these actions by reducing their overall consumption. According to the EEA, changes in diet alone can help free up land, reduce water use and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The Commission’s ‘food and biodiversity’ legislative package is still scheduled for 5 July.
To see the EEA note, go to https://aeur.eu/f/7f2 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)