Toward a more Circular Economy – thinkstep and Thinking Circular join forces while China and the EU sign memorandum

thinkstep and Thinking Circular have joined forces to offer workshops and solutions to guide businesses in implementing Circular Economy as a means of reaching their Sustainable Development Goals. Currently listed on the UN Sustainable Development Goals Help Desk to assist businesses, on August 1 (3pm-4pm CET) thinkstep and Thinking Circular will hold a joint webinar entitled Circular Economy Policies – Tackling Your Strategy.

Global challenges and new legislation are forcing companies to rethink their material resource strategies. Now businesses need integrative concepts for supply chains and materials flows (design and systems thinking). The Sustainable Development Goals Help Desk is a one-stop, online service providing access to tools, learning opportunities, expertise, advice and spaces for peer-learning and regional cooperation. SDG support will be provided through service lines in the form of a knowledge hub, data portals, technical assistance, an online community of experts, toolboxes and a search engine.

Meanwhile, last week China and the European Union (EU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Circular Economy at the 20th EU-China Summit, held in Beijing, July 16-17.

A circular economy implies reducing waste to a minimum and re-using, repairing and recycling existing materials and products. It refers to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals for industry, production and consumption. The agreement, signed by European Commission Vice President, Jyrki Katainen, and the Chairman of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, He Lifeng, could see the world’s two largest economies align key circular economy mechanisms and pave the way for the development of product standards and policies, which could create the conditions for a ‘system shift’ on a global scale towards a low carbon, regenerative economy.

Co-operation by the two economic powerhouses in this field will cover strategies, legislation, policies and research in areas of mutual interest. It will address management systems and policy tools such as eco-design, eco-labelling, extended producer responsibility and green supply chains as well as financing of the circular economy. [Source: https://resource.co/article/china-and-eu-sign-memorandum-understanding-circular-economy-12744]

Find out more about thinkstep and Thinking Circular’s webinar at https://circular-economy.thinkstep.com/webinar

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About thinkstep:

thinkstep helps businesses become more environmentally friendly through improvements in operational excellence, product innovation, brand value and regulatory compliance. With expert sustainability consulting services, high quality data and easy-to-use product and organizational software, thinkstep enables organizations worldwide to succeed sustainably.

About Thinking Circular:

Eveline Lemke is a consultant, lateral thinker and guide in Circular Economy. Up until 2016, she initiated multiple sustainable projects as the first Green Minister of Economic Affairs and Deputy Minister-President in Rhineland-Palatinate. She is an expert on energy and raw material transition as well as C2C (“Cradle to Cradle”) eco-design. Lemke is a member of the supervisory board of ABO Wind AG. In 2017, she founded a competence center for circular economy issues: Thinking Circular.