{"id":30919,"date":"2022-12-08T14:56:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T21:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futureearth.org\/?p=30919"},"modified":"2022-12-16T12:20:02","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T19:20:02","slug":"harmonious-or-harmful-the-circular-economy-and-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futureearth.org\/2022\/12\/08\/harmonious-or-harmful-the-circular-economy-and-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Harmonious or Harmful? The Circular Economy and Biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The circular economy has wind in its sails, exponentially increasing academic attention, interest among policy makers, industry, and financiers, and\u00a0<\/span>increased trade in primary and secondary circular materials<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Momentum and a bandwagon effect are propelling the implementation of circular economy principles and practices\u2013going well beyond the Industrialized Global North. Is this transition too fast and is it<\/span> environmentally sustainable<\/span><\/a>? The wider second order consequences of circular practice adoption and growth needs careful study.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2013and others\u2013have noted concern over the extent to which environmental and social sustainability factors are being integrated into circular thinking. In a series of publications and blogs [<\/span>1<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>2<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>3<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>4<\/span><\/a>], we considered the relationship between the circular economy and the<\/span> informal economy<\/span><\/a>. We discussed and debated formalization of the informal circular economy across circular agro-forestry and fishing in the Amazon, waste picking in South Africa, and ocean plastics in the Philippines scenarios.\u00a0 We opened the lid on what we do and what we do not know about processes of formalization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Opportunities and challenges for the circular economy are contingent\u2013context, geography, and history each matter. These contingencies are especially important in biodiverse environments. Biodiversity is inextricably linked to<\/span> economic systems<\/span><\/a> and especially<\/span> production and consumption systems<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The relationship between circular economy strategies and biodiversity protection is poorly understood. Biodiversity refers to the diversity and abundance of life on Earth; it includes genetic diversity within species, diversity between species, and diversity of ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conventional wisdom suggests that the relationship between circular practices and biodiversity must be synergistic. The circular economy is \u201cbased on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and <\/span>regenerating natural systems<\/span><\/i>\u201d [our emphasis]. And yet, there is considerable uncertainty and the relationship is contested in the extant literature.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example,<\/span> Buchmann-Duck and Beazley<\/span><\/a> point to strategies of biomimicry, ecosystem services, bioeconomy and renewables, that \u2013 under certain circumstances \u2013 not only do not contribute to protecting biodiversity, but can actually harm biodiversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Korhonen <\/span>et al.<\/span><\/i><\/a> conclude that \u201cevery circular economy-type process or project should be carefully analyzed for its (global) net environmental sustainability contribution\u201d, drawing attention to the violation of ecosystem biodiversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

To support our understanding of when circular economy practice contexts and circumstances can protect or harm biodiversity, we organized an online workshop on <\/span>(Bio-) Diversifying Circular Economy Research and Innovation. <\/span><\/i>This workshop w<\/span>as part of the <\/span>Future Earth Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production conference on 8th November 2022<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 You can watch a recording of the full workshop<\/span> here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts shared their insights on the challenges of fostering circular economy projects while enhancing biodiversity. <\/span>Tim Forslund<\/span><\/a> from the Finnish Innovation Fund <\/span>\u2013<\/span> SITRA<\/span><\/a> \u2013 shared insights from a recent report that modeled circular changes to sectors that provide the largest potential for halting biodiversity loss and regional biodiversity improvements. The\u00a0<\/span>report<\/span><\/a> showed how interventions using circular principles of narrowing, slowing, closing and regenerating can \u201chalt and partly reverse\u201d biodiversity loss by 2035. These findings are especially pertinent to the Global South\u2013even when the circular initiatives are in the North.<\/span><\/p>\n

Henrique Pacini<\/span><\/a>, who leads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development\u2019s (UNCTAD)<\/span>\u00a0Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution<\/span><\/a> program discussed unintended consequences of circular economy practices on biodiversity. Henrique introduced the SMEP\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0trade and pollution dashboard<\/span><\/a> that evidences environmental impacts of export products from some African and South Asian countries, including data on eco-toxicities that are damaging to biodiversity. The dashboard illustrates the complex – and often contradictory – environmental impacts associated with the production and distribution of goods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Enni Ruokamo<\/span><\/a> from the\u00a0<\/span>Finnish Environment Institute<\/span><\/a> shared some reflections from a recent project that took a deep dive into the built environment sector in Finland. The presentation was based on a<\/span>\u00a0recent working paper<\/span><\/a> which identified circular actions that reduce raw material extraction, relieve land use pressures and promote biodiversity. The study also identified other actions that increase the use of forest resources and can impair biodiversity in the absence of biodiversity-enhancing forestry management practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally,<\/span>\u00a0Jose Pineda<\/span><\/a> from Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista shared some early insights into a British Academy sponsored project that is exploring circular economy practices in developing contexts. The study aims to shed light on the capability of the circular economy to bridge environmental sustainability and economic development in biodiverse ecosystems in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many important questions were raised. The implications for biodiversity of circular changes in production and consumption and about the unintended and second order consequences of change were addressed.\u00a0 Major points made across the systems of sustainable production and consumption included:<\/span><\/p>\n