Unleashing the Power of the Circular Economy

4.4
Start with
stakeholder fora
to set the agenda
Consensus and
support are
growing
More research
reports are due...
How to proceed
The steps described above form a first roadmap into this uncharted territory.
To set the wheels in motion and transform the steps into an agenda for
coordinated actions by specific stakeholders requires the initiation of
stakeholder fora (see step 9). The combined effect of the steps described will
greatly accelerate the transition towards a circular economy. Even when the
removal of some of the obstacles would be only partially successful or takes
more time, the effects on our economy would still be significant.
Besides showing the potential for circular business models, front-running
companies should urge governments to change rules and regulations in
favour of these business models. Only then has every economic sector the
incentive to become regenerative by design. Such incentives will need to be
knowledge based and have to acceptable to society at large. This implies an
important role for knowledge institutes and NGOs if we want the circular
economy to become mainstream.
Fortunately, consensus and support for the circular economy are growing.
Governments increasingly acknowledge the need for a circular economy.
China was one of the first countries integrating the circular economy into
its national policies (5-year plan), in order to prepare itself for resource
scarcity. [93] Germany has included circular economy regulation in its policy
to address future scarcity [70] , while the European Union has similar intentions
with its resource efficiency policy. [85] The Dutch government announced the
importance of the circular economy in its latest coalition agreement. [135]
A recent development in the Netherlands is that industry confederation
VNO-NCW now supports the concept.
To provide further guidance towards the circular economy, several studies
are being carried out by other parties in parallel to writing this report. In the
Netherlands alone, three studies have recently been commissioned: one
concerning existing regulatory obstacles for companies and two on the
opportunities for the Dutch economy. Finally, the Ex’Tax foundation is working
with the “Big Four” audit firms to investigate the possibility of a tax shift from
labour to natural resources. [110]
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