IHBC Signpost to The Green Alliance: Developing policy solutions for a circular economy

The Green Alliance has updated on its work supporting a circular economy, ‘one in which we value materials and keep them in use for as long as possible, while minimising harm to the environment…’.

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… Defra’s 2018 resources and waste strategy adopted many of its recommendations…

The Green Alliance writes:

… By shifting to an economy where waste and harmful materials are designed out and repair, reuse, remanufacturing and high quality recycling are the norm, we can create new jobs and increase the resilience of supply chains. Since 2012, we’ve investigated the policy solutions needed to transition to a circular economy in the UK.

Our work includes:

  • Convening the Circular Economy Task Force (CETF), which is a forum for policy, innovation and business thinking on resource use;
  • Working with researchers to understand public perceptions of the circular economy and which policies could be most effective….

Since 2012, we have pioneered new approaches to preventing and reducing waste with our business consortium, the Circular Economy Task Force (CETF). It is currently chaired by Colin Church, chief executive of IOM3.

With the support of the CETF, Green Alliance conducts independent, objective research and analysis to inform resources policy, convening stakeholders from government, civil society and industry to develop and test ideas.

The task force has had a significant impact on government policy. For example, Defra’s 2018 resources and waste strategy adopted many of its recommendations, including harmonising recycling services and implementing an extended producer responsibility regime….

Academic collaboration on resource efficiency policy

Improving the efficiency of resources could save up to 28% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions. Public buy-in will be an important part of the success or failure of innovative proposals to improve resource efficiency, so policymakers’ decisions should be informed by evidence on public attitudes and engagement.

In conjunction with the school of psychology at Cardiff University and members of the CIE-MAP consortium, we worked with key decision makers to set out which resource efficiency policies cut the most emissions and are the most popular with the public. Significantly, we found that measures offering the biggest carbon savings, and over which the government has most control, are those that are most popular with the public…

Read more….

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