{"id":4489,"date":"2023-03-03T15:41:57","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T14:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redelfi.com\/?p=4489"},"modified":"2025-01-14T17:45:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T16:45:28","slug":"circular-economy-and-energy-transition-some-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redelfi.com\/en\/news-en\/circular-economy-and-energy-transition-some-thoughts\/","title":{"rendered":"Circular economy and energy transition: some thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Talking today about <\/span>the circular economy<\/span><\/b> and <\/span>energy transition<\/span><\/b> means touching a focal point of the international debate on<\/span> sustainable development<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Protecting the environment without<\/span><\/b>, however, <\/span>limiting economic development<\/span><\/b>: the goal is clear, especially in this post-Covid-19 era in which the <\/span>environment\u00a0<\/span><\/b>has been defined as a central issue.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>sustainable development of national economies<\/span><\/b> is a priority, which is why we are concretely witnessing a trend that aims to reconcile the <\/span>energy transition <\/span><\/b>needs with <\/span>economic and social <\/span><\/b>ones. That is why we talk about the <\/span>circular economy<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It changes, therefore, paradigms and production cycle. By definition, the <\/span>circular economy<\/span><\/b> is an <\/span>economic development model<\/span><\/b> aimed at <\/span>reducing waste<\/span><\/b> and <\/span>environmental impact<\/span><\/b> by exploiting the <\/span>redesign of the production processes<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This type of economy is based on basic concepts such as <\/span>recycling<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>reuse<\/span><\/b>, and <\/span>regeneration of products and materials<\/span><\/b>, to promote the creation of long-lasting products and the <\/span>use of renewable energy<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Differences between the circular economy and a linear economy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

During a typical <\/span>linear economy <\/span><\/b>production process, there is the <\/span>generation of production excess<\/span><\/b>, which is classified as <\/span>waste<\/span><\/b>. This is the first <\/span>difference between circular economy and linear economy<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It changes the very concept of <\/span>production excess <\/span><\/b>no longer seen as<\/span> waste to be disposed of<\/span><\/b> but rather as a <\/span>resource<\/span><\/b> that is<\/span> fed back into the production cycle<\/span><\/b>, making it<\/span> environmentally sustainable<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It seeks to create a system in which <\/span>materials<\/span><\/b> and <\/span>resources<\/span><\/b> are continuously used and reused,<\/span> minimizing the consumption of new resources<\/span><\/b> and waste generation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the linear economy has greatly impacted the future of\u00a0generations to come, with the paradigm shift, catastrophe can be avoided. The goal of the circular economy is to create a <\/span>sustainable and resilient system<\/span><\/b> that can secure present needs without compromising the possibilities of future generations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some steps in the transition from linear to circular economy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

In <\/span>March 2020<\/span><\/b>, the <\/span>European Commission<\/span><\/b> presented the<\/span> Action Plan for a New Circular Economy <\/span><\/b>that aims to <\/span>reduce waste<\/span><\/b> and <\/span>harmful emissions<\/span><\/b> and make the production process of resource-intensive sectors more sustainable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Subsequently, in<\/span> February 2021<\/span><\/b>,<\/span> additional measures<\/span><\/b> were called for to <\/span>achieve a key goal<\/span><\/b>: that of <\/span>creating a zero-carbon economy<\/span><\/b> by <\/span>2050<\/span><\/b>, the deadline that will see the completion of the transition from a linear to a circular economy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The benefits of the circular economy and its relationship to the energy transition<\/h3>\n

The transition to a circular economy is urgent, both to <\/span>protect the environment<\/span><\/b> and <\/span>biodiversity<\/span><\/b> and to<\/span> reduce greenhouse gas emissions<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent data from the <\/span>European Environment Agency<\/span><\/b> makes it clear that <\/span>industrial processes<\/span><\/b> cause <\/span>9.10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions <\/span><\/b>in the <\/span>European Union<\/span><\/b>, while <\/span>waste management<\/span><\/b> is responsible for <\/span>3.32 percent.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, then, <\/span>considering production waste as a resource<\/span><\/b> and no longer as waste is a huge step forward in ecological terms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From this point of view, it is also important to <\/span>avoid excessive packaging<\/span><\/b> and make it more functional and less impactful. Some estimates tell us that each year a European citizen produces <\/span>180 kg of packaging waste<\/span><\/b>. This is an alarming figure that requires a reversal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another benefit of the circular economy concerns the <\/span>use of raw materials<\/span><\/b>. Europe imports most of the resources it uses in its various production cycles, resulting in a double-knotted dependence with some producing countries.<\/span> Recycling raw materials <\/span><\/b>reduces this dependence and, more importantly, makes it freer from the various price increases and poor availability that occur at certain times.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More responsible use of natural resources<\/span><\/b> also has a positive impact on <\/span>climate <\/span><\/b>and<\/span> the environment.<\/span><\/b> By reducing the <\/span>CO2 emissions<\/span><\/b> that characterize the extraction and processing of raw materials, there are benefits of no small magnitude, proving that a <\/span>sustainable approach<\/span><\/b> is always to be preferred.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We can say that the <\/span>relationship between the circular economy and the energy transition <\/span><\/b>starts right here. The linear economy is closely linked to <\/span>environmental unsustainability<\/span><\/b>, while the circular economy tends to <\/span>preserve natural resources and the environment<\/span><\/b> while favoring <\/span>renewable sources and materials.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Added to this is the <\/span>extension of product life cycles<\/span><\/b> and the <\/span>encouragement of recycling and reuse<\/span><\/b>, common factors that serve to <\/span>achieve the climate goals<\/span><\/b> that must take place between now and 2030.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The pillars of the circular economy<\/span><\/b> are also useful, then, for <\/span>improving energy efficiency<\/span><\/b>. In the face of the pressing<\/span> demand for circular infrastructure innovation related to the use of renewables<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>storage and distribution systems<\/span><\/b> turn out to be a key tool to use.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Storage facilities<\/span><\/b> (BESS) allow<\/span> excess energy to be stored<\/span><\/b> and then reused later, just as circularity requires. In addition, all this also pushes on the accelerator of the energy transition as it entices the use of <\/span>renewable energy<\/span><\/b>, overcoming the problem of grid instability related to the temporary unavailability of some sources such as sun or wind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Talking today about the circular economy and energy transition means touching a focal point of the international debate on sustainable development.\u00a0 Protecting the environment without, however, limiting economic development: the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCircular economy and energy transition: some thoughts | Redelfi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/redelfi.com\/en\/news-en\/circular-economy-and-energy-transition-some-thoughts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Circular economy and energy transition: some thoughts | Redelfi\" \/>\n<meta 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