Agenda 2030

Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable
Development Goals

At the last United Nations Summit for Sustainable Development (2015), the 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as an opportunity for countries to take action in favor of the elimination of poverty, education, the equality of women, the defense of the environment, the protection of the oceans, the design of our cities, among others. The Circular Economy Coalition is aligned with this international agenda in many ways, especially with the SDGs related to environmental protection, sustainable consumption and production, the generation of green and quality jobs, the development of sustainable cities, and alliances and cooperation. According to the  One Planet Network, the Life Cycle Initiative, and the International Resource Panel ,some of the interlinked SGDs with circular economy are:  

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but also one of the essential foundations for building a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. Thanks to the advancement of the circular economy as a path towards sustainable development, the improvement in the use of technology and a significant increase in green jobs available as opportunities for personal, educational, and work development are expected, both for women and men.

According to the United Nations, water scarcity affects more than 40% of the world’s population and this percentage is expected to increase, and more than 1.7 billion people currently live-in river basins where water consumption exceeds recharge. Against this background, the circular economy seeks to push the flow of water towards its natural cycle, applying technology that allows it to take advantage of it again and again.

Access to electricity in the poorest countries has started to accelerate, energy efficiency continues to improve, and renewable energy is achieving excellent results in the electricity sector. However, it is necessary to think in the long term to reduce energy losses in its distribution and have an adequate circular management of the materials and assets used for the development of wind and solar energy.

Sustained and inclusive economic growth can drive progress, create decent jobs for all, and improve quality of life standards. According to the Business & Sustainable Development Commission report, compliance with the SDGs could reach 12 trillion dollars in global growth by 2030, creating 380 million jobs. In the same period, according to Accenture, the transition to the circular economy, as part of the SDGs, could lead to global growth of $ 4.5 trillion, which would improve the resilience of economies.

According to ECLAC, Latin America is the most urbanized region in the developing world. Two thirds of the Latin American population live in cities of 20,000 inhabitants or more and almost 80% in urban areas. There is no doubt that they are economic engines of their countries and that they also generate high rates of environmental pressure. To achieve communities with safe services and systems that guarantee an adequate quality of life for citizens, the circular economy is a great ally, since according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, they can push the circular agenda and guarantee a transition that supports meet housing, mobility, water, energy, and economic development priorities.

Consumption and production (forces that drive the world’s economy) depend on the use of the natural environment and resources, in a way that continues to have destructive effects on the planet. Faced with this, the circular economy proposes to revalue the resources and materials already produced to incorporate them into a continuous circularity that allows to significantly reduce the indiscriminate exploitation of resources and that stimulates an adequate and sustainable management of them. This will be possible thanks to a more conscious and responsible consumption of the population, as well as the adoption of sustainable production patterns, which will consider criteria about the origin of resources in both goods and services.

Although the onset of the pandemic reduced GHGs for a brief period, climate change has not stopped and continues to be the main challenge of the century. To respond to this challenge, the circular economy is presented as one of the paths to take, since it allows reducing GHG emissions by reducing the consumption and exploitation of virgin raw material. In fact, it can help address 45% of total GHG emissions, which are generated by the way we make and use products and the way we produce food (EMF).

The SDGs can only be achieved with strong global partnerships and cooperation; the creation of this Coalition is proof of this. The strategic partners and government representatives that comprise it recognize that creating a common vision and perspective to support the transition towards the circular economy responds to the proposed and prioritized SDGs.