How can we accelerate the transition

towards a circular economy?

Jean-Paul Albertini General Commissioner for Sustainable Development

Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy - France

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I – Circular economy in France: a strong

political commitment

II – What policies can be mobilized at

national level?

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I. Circular Economy in France: a strong political commitment

The traditionnal approach for waste management policy:

- protect health

- preserve environment

More recently

- prevention and recycling

« end of pipe » approach

« more integrated approach »

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Why shifting from a linear to a circular economy?

1. A forecast of increasing scarcity of resources (with consequences on

production costs and geopolitical issues)

2. A growing intolerance to waste accumulation and local pollution

associated with waste incineration (NIMBY, air quality…)

=> a more efficient use of resources

1. A potential for growth, competitiveness, re-industrialisation and jobs

that can not be relocated

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The French Environmental Conference (Sept. 2013): a first step to

accelerate the transition towards a circular economy

Circular economy: one of the topics of the 2013 Environmental Conference

Aim: to involve all the stakeholders around priority topics

3 ministers as co-chairs:

- Minister in charge of Sustainable Development - Minister in charge of the Industry - Minister in charge of Social and Solidarity Economy

●A 2nd conference to initiate the implementation (Gardanne, Dec. 2013)

●Commitments, measures... roadmap and follow-up

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II – What policies can be mobilized at national level?

Bringing the stakeholders together

to move to a more circular economy

A sectoral and a chain approach: encouraging companies to work together on

concrete and accountable goals and actions

→ voluntary agreement; extended producer responsability scheme…

A territorial approach: assisting local and regional authorities to develop and

implement projects of industrial and territorial ecology

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Research, innovation and development policies

Develop research programmes

processes, products and services based on a circular economy

improve knowledge on the determinants of consumer’s behaviour

Set up a systemic approach for research and innovation

Act across the whole R&I&D chain (basic research, pilot projects, diffusion

of best practices, impact assessement of production and consumption

practices…), also at the EU level

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Circular economy is also a matter

of professionnal knowledge and skills

In France: National Plan for jobs and professions in the green economy

Main identified targets: process engineers, logistics engineers, designers, marketers,

chemists, economists, agronomists... and managers

→ "life-cycle thinking" needs a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach

At the European level: Study how the "life-cycle thinking" can be integrated in training

→ identification of emerging good practices

(eg: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training – CEDEFOP)

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Adopt strong product policies

In France: - consumption law

- longer life expectancy (planned obsolescence)

- reflections on a volontary life time labelling of products

The European level is particularly relevant:

Strenghten the EU sustainable product policy framework, for an improved environmental

and energy performance of products

→ ambitious implementation of the 7th EAP, Art. 35

Address the information gap on the market (most products do not bear any environmental

information) → extension or creation of labelling schemes (eg Product Environmental

Footprint-based)

Assess the opportunity to take into account material efficiency criteria in the application

of the ErP directive

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Reduce waste landfilling In France:

an ambitious target: - 50 % [2010-2020]

a mix of instruments: extended producer responsability schemes; support to local

authorities to improve waste separation and collection; landfill tax...

The issue of the price signal (passing over the landfilltax price signal to producers and

consumers)

integration of the landfill social costs in final prices

find a stakeholder compromise on environmental taxes

At the European level:

targets on all categories of waste (not only municipal waste)

targets that better respect the waste treatment hierarchy

define common methodologies (comparability)

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Greening the European Semester: integrating the "material

productivity" indicator in the European semester

Classical economic indicators (GDP, unemployment rate, budget deficit…)

are not sufficient to monitor a sustainable growth.

Continue to work closely with Member States on resource efficiency

indicators and targets.

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Thank you for your attention

www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr