BMW accelerates into the circular economy

The question of how to put sustainability at the heart of the EU’s trade policy, and retain public public support for it, has become a vital issue for EU policymakers. So, too, is getting the EU and wider international community to respect their commitments on social, labour and environmental standards.
Yet while respecting human rights and social standards has been an EU objective for six years, progress towards making this a reality has been mixed.
This special report looks at what is new in the European Commission’s trade strategy and how trade unions and civil society groups can be involved in monitoring the implementation and upholding the terms of the EU’s trade agreements.
Read the full article at: www.euractiv.com

The UN Economic Commission for Europe released a toolbox of instruments to support governments’ adoption of a more circular economy. The instruments include legal frameworks, policy analysis documents, and good practice guidance.
Among the instruments, the document highlights UN regulations that help create a “loop” to optimize the use of resources, such as regulating the reuse of vehicle tire carcasses by renewing the tire’s tread and enabling it to have a second or third life.
Harnessing trade for circularity, one initiative aims to reduce food loss and waste in agricultural trade and supply chains.
The toolbox points to several resources on people-first public-private partnerships (PPPs), including Guidelines on Promoting People-first PPP in Waste-to-Energy Projects for the Circular Economy. Another resource is a set of good practices on promoting innovation for sustainable consumption and production.
Read the full article at: sdg.iisd.org