Think Lab: Nobody said the path towards sustainability would be easy

Headlines and press releases tell us policymakers and business leaders are focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy. But what exactly is it they are all speeding towards? At its the heart the circular economy is about transforming how materials are used and produced to eliminate wastage. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) points to its goal of ‘closing the loop between raw materials, products and wastes so that materials remain in use and consumption of finite resources is reduced’. While countries and sectors would likely say something similar, the lack of an ‘internationally-agreed definition’ is slowing down progress in ‘designing informed strategies’, the UNECE said.