THESE ARE 5 REASONS WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR CIRCULAR DIPLOMACY
Shared values, clear vision of the future and concrete actions on the ground are needed to embrace complex “poly-crises” and start operating within planetary boundaries. Let’s shift from WHY to HOW!
No one can make this systemic shift alone.
Within the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform that Ladeja Godina Košir co-chairing in Brussels, one of the fields they are exploring intensively for the last three years, is the value of network governance and the role of circular economy hubs. With the strong engagement of Prof Jacqueline Cramer, professor of sustainable innovation at Utrecht University, and former Dutch minister of housing, spatial planning, and the environment, we managed to better understand the role of circular economy hubs in the context of the transition from linear to circular economy. No one can make this systemic shift alone. While the major role of the government is to develop policies and implement governmental instruments, we need collaboration within networks that are orchestrated by “transition brokers”. So-called network governance is complementary to the public governance. [1]
Workshop at ECESP Annual Conference 2023: Addressing climate change and biodiversity through network governance and circular diplomacy
Lessons learned about network governance as well as Ladeja’s personal experiences from different circular economy hubs and platforms in Europe and beyond – mostly led by enthusiastic and purpose driven individuals – contributed to the next explorative phase: how to make more positive impact by upscaling circular economy via circular diplomacy. This was the subject of the workshop “Addressing climate change and biodiversity through network governance and circular diplomacy« organized by Circular Change during the annual ECESP Conference in February 2023[2], where former EU commissioner and co-chair of the IRP, dr. Janez Potočnik opened the discussion with his inspiring keynote address: “Central question, circular diplomats should ask, is: How to meet human needs and maximise our wellbeing by optimizing the use of energy and materials, which for high-income countries means by using both less! Understanding circular economy as an instrument for decoupling of economic growth from resource use and environmental impacts in practice, as well as a part of the bigger picture of economic, societal, and cultural transformation needed to deliver the EGD and SDGs.”
EU as the “lighthouse of green transition”
The EU presents itself as the “lighthouse of green transition” with a strong ambition to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 while slashing its emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. To reach these milestones, the European Commission, unveiled the Green Deal in 2019—a proposal to radically redesign Europe’s energy, food, and transport systems. But we cannot look to the EU in isolation. We have to reach out globally and share our hard-learned lessons as well as humbly learn from others. Global North and Global South have a lot to exchange. Here circular diplomacy comes in.
Circular diplomacy – 5 reasons why:
1. Circular economy is an important ingredient for strengthening resilience and strategic autonomy, while assuring the quality of life of everyone - orchestrators of circular transformation are familiar with circular economy principles, understand interests of different stakeholders and have a good overview of the potentials for circular transformation on local / national / international level.
2. In times when collaboration is the key not only for a success but very often also for pure existence, ability to connect right partners in an effective and efficient value system is of great value for a resilience of business and society.
3. Competences and skills possessed by transition brokers engaged in a variety of circular economy activities are crucial when addressing global challenges where the ability to lead and manage complex projects and partnerships is essential – different international trade missions and other formats of exchange of knowledge and practices are super fertile ground for fostering circular transformation.
4. System thinking, creativity, critical thinking and the ability to connect the right dots to make concrete actions on the ground contribute to impactful implementation of sustainable and circular solutions with the final goal to enable wellbeing of everyone.
5. Communication is the key – circular diplomacy is empowering new narrative based on shared values and inclusive dialogue with different stakeholders – from local to global level – enabling safe space where lessons learned can be shared transparently and where responsible decision-making is encouraged.
In conclusion, the circular economy plays a vital role in strengthening resilience and strategic autonomy while ensuring the quality of life for all. Orchestrators of circular transformation possess the necessary knowledge of circular economy principles, stakeholder interests, and potential for circular transformation on various levels. Competences and skills possessed by transition brokers engaged in circular economy activities are crucial for addressing global challenges and fostering circular transformation. By promoting a shared narrative and inclusive dialogue with stakeholders at all levels, we can foster a safe space for sharing knowledge and making responsible decisions toward a more sustainable future for all.
[1] https://hollandcircularhotspot.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/How-Network-Governance-Powers-the-Circular-Economy-Ten-Guiding-Principles-for-a-Circular-Economy-Jacqueline-Cramer.pdf
[2] https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/about/cg-activities-documents/1d-addressing-climate-change-and-biodiversity-through-network-governance-and-circular-diplomacy