UBC pursuing housing and transit solutions to push the sustainability agenda

Opening the event is Dr Walter Stahel who, many of you will already know, is credited with coining the term ‘circular economy’ in a paper published in 1982. His keynote speech will provide a new vision for realising the full value of our natural resources. Circular recently caught up with Dr Stahel for an exclusive interview, where he revealed the origins of his ideas about the circular economy. ‘The circular economy has always existed,’ he said. ‘It’s as old as humankind, but this was a circular economy of scarcity – and it still is in poorer regions, where everything is repaired or reused. But, in industrialised countries, we live in a society of abundance. To motivate people, to make things last, we need to educate them – we need to change them, their lifestyle, their behaviour, their beliefs.’