With circular economy strategies greenhouse gases cut by 39% per year

Adopting circular economy strategies can cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 22.8 billion tons per year, or 39% from 2019 record levels of 59.1 Gigatonnes (Gt), and keep the planet on a trajectory of average temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century compared to the pre-industrial period (1850-1900): this is stated by the "Circularity Gap Report" of the non-profit Circle Economy, which is published today in the of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The way to avoid "climate collapse", explains the study, is an efficient consumption of resources in three areas that together constitute 70% of global emissions: construction, travel and freight transport, nutrition.

The creation of new products with raw materials must also be avoided, reducing the quantities of minerals, fossil fuels, metals and biomass.

In summary, the solution is in reforming agriculture, applying circular principles to building construction projects, minimizing motorized transportation in cities, putting more waste bins and building recycling plants.

The world, the report recalls, "consumes more than 100 Gt of materials a year and only 8.6% is reused", while the strategies identified would cut consumption to 79 Gt and increase reused materials to 17%.

Current climate commitments lead to an increase of 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2100 and an increased risk of destructive weather events and devastating environmental (but also social and economic) consequences, as also noted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Change United Nations (IPCC) climate conditions.

According to the UN Emissions Gap Report 2020, to ensure that global warming is kept below 2 degrees (minimum target of the Paris Agreement), global emissions must by 2030 decrease by 15 billion tons, or 32 Gt if you want to stay within 1.5 degrees (primary objective of the Paris Agreement).

(HANDLE).