STATEMENTS | PRODUCT POLICY | CIRCULAR ECONOMY
15 demands for circular value creation “Made in Europe“ Demands of the BDI Circular Economy Initiative for 2024 to 2029
15. September 2024 The members of the BDI Circular Economy Initiative pursue the common goal of developing the circular economy into the main pillar of sustainable, defossilized industrial value creation. They have determined that our economic activities must also focus on using, recycling and reusing high-quality products and raw materials in cycles for as long as possible. At the same time, it will be necessary to support this ambition with new and innovative business models and circular services. It is also undisputed that stable access to sustainably sourced primary raw materials must be guaranteed for the supply of raw materials to industry in view of the transformation challenges it faces. This is the only way to ensure a secure overall supply of raw materials in Europe and to provide the necessary technologies for the global protection of natural resources and the climate. The members of the BDI Circular Economy Initiative see themselves as shapers of the development towards a circular economy and stand for competition, openness to technology and innovation. Taking these principles into account, the transition to a circular economic model requires a holistic and ambitious policy that creates a secure framework for closing loops on the basis of new instruments. The fact that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, continued to classify the circular economy as central to industrial policy in her political guidelines for the years 2024 to 2029 in July 2024 is therefore correct. However, for the circular economy to become a real success factor for Europe as a business location, the following fundamental conditions must also be taken into account:
▪
The framework conditions for Europe as an industrial location, including competitive energy costs, swift approval procedures and digital infrastructure, must be designed in such a way that companies can also produce, invest and innovate in the EU in the global competition between locations.
▪
Companies must be put in a position where circular strategies can also be implemented as business models in a free European internal market. This may also require the establishment of green lead markets.
Dr. Claas Oehlmann | Circular Economy Initiative | T: +49 30 2028-1606 | c.oehlmann@ice.bdi.eu | www.bdi.eu