The Global Observer – July 2023

 — Global News and Trends —

edie - Why businesses need to focus more on bioresources as part of the circular economy(in english)

Business in the Community’s circular economy director Maya de Souza outlines how approaches to closed-loop systems have largely ignored bioresources and how businesses can focus on this area.

Mining review Africa - Conscious circularity: The role of mining in a circular economy (in english)

To help ensure mining and metals companies maintain competitive market share, circular economy should become a core strategic imperative.

Novethic - Maritime transport fails to make commitments aligned with the Paris Agreement (in french)

A few months before the COP28 on the climate, the member countries of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) failed on Friday July 7 to agree on an agreement sufficiently ambitious to respect the 1.5°C scenario. Another missed opportunity as the window of opportunity to act before 2030 closes.

Novethic - "Too hot to work": a shocking documentary by Arte on a cracking world (in french)

The documentary "Too hot to work" by Mikaël Lefrançois and Camille Robert, to see on Arte, looks at the health, economic and environmental issues of a phenomenon that is still too little publicized, 'heat stress'.

Nature - How to build a circular economy for rare-earth elements(in english)

Rare-earth elements that are crucial for clean-energy technologies are jealously fought over. Policies and programmes to encourage recycling and recovery could reduce tensions.

— Europe, Middle East and Africa —

Euractiv - How can a shift to a circular economy in the EU contribute to a climate-neutral Europe? (in english)

Rewatch this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to learn more about the potential of a circular EU economy, and how making this shift could contribute to a climate-neutral Europe.

Novethic - France is making CO2 capture and storage one of the key levers for decarbonizing industry (in french)

The capture and storage of CO2 is one of the levers acclaimed by the largest French industrialists to decarbonize. While this technology is still far from being mature and remains very expensive, France has just published a strategy to develop it rapidly in France.

JustStyle - EU must focus on design to tackle being behind on circularity (in english)

A report by the European Court of Auditors suggests the circular transition is at a standstill in many European countries due to an insufficient focus on designing products for circularity and the vast majority of funds being used to manage waste.

Entreprises Magazine - Towards a circular economy: the governments of the MENA region are committed against pollution (in french)

In an effort to support efforts to tackle plastic pollution in the MENA region, the World Bank hosted a regional knowledge exchange in May 2023.

— North America —

National Observer - Canada needs a road map to root out greenwashing for financial products (in english)

An effective taxonomy, if science-based and backstopped by strong enforcement measures, could stem the amount of greenwashing and actually put Canada on a path to net zero.

Post Online Media - British Columbia sets single-use plastic requirements  (in english)

A new provincial regulation will expand British Columbia’s efforts to tackle hard-to-recycle single-use and plastic items.

— Asia Pacific —

Nikkei Asia - Indonesia will chart a circular economy path with its new capital (in english)

Bambang Susantono is chairman of the Nusantara Capital Authority.No other invention has revolutionized urban industry in both a positive and a destruc

Scandasia - Thailand and Denmark takes first step to collaborate on Bio-Circular-Green Economy (in english)

The Danish Ambassador to Thailand, Jon Thorgaard, and his team recently had a meeting with Deputy Permanent Secretary,Thalearngsak Petchsuwan, and the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to discuss their steps in collaborating on the bio-circular-green economy and waste management.