Green Economy Journal Issue 59

CIRCULARITY
CIRCULARITY
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The systemic glue to the Nexus
Circular economy has become quite the buzzword globally as nations start
adopting the primary principles, sometimes inadvertently, to achieve
sustainability goals, climate adaptation/mitigation goals, the SDGs and
ESG reporting.
What’s a nexus? Essentially a nexus is the inextricable link between
sectors that warrants their co-management to ensure the goals of
each are achieved equally. Humans like to put things in boxes. Even
more so in government, where boxes are upgraded to impenetrable
armoured silos. When one thing does not work without the other,
this tends to be a management disaster, but forbid the thought we
should change the way we do things, else we might fix this country…
The most common nexus discussions globally are those of the
Water/Energy/Food or WEF nexus. Quite simply, we can’t grow food
without water, and we need energy to move water to where it is
supposed to be and to process food and get it to market. In their
natural states, water (rain), energy (sunlight) and food (plants) all
work in harmony, but mankind has somewhat disrupted this harmonic
continuum. We cannot manage our way out of this disruption if we
consider these sectors separately and thus the nexus.
However, the deeper you go into this the more you realise that
everything is connected. Like the topics in this Journal issue. As an
example, one should not consider manufacturing without considering
water, energy, transport, infrastructure, materials, etc. One can make
the same assumptions with each of the topics in this issue, with some
less obvious than the others.
Construction is a vital component of a sustainable transition with
the built environment collectively contributing some 39% of all
carbon emissions driving global warming. Again, this is not just about
the waste (eg builders’ rubble gaining a second life), but making a
paradigm shift to new low-carbon materials, design and innovation.
We need to embrace new materials and change our preference
from energy-hungry conventional options like cement (solely
responsible for 8% of global emissions!). “How?” you may ask, but
fear not – most of the solutions are available already. We just need
to change. Talking about the nexus, even construction has a nexus
involving materials, waste, energy, water and logistics.
New innovative materials can be lighter, cheaper, more thermally
efficient, low-carbon, stronger and better in so many ways. We
BY CHRIS WHYTE, ACEN*
Unfortunately, Africa has been a bit slow on adopting the
jargon, with many still believing this is just another fancy
word for recycling and everyone in the waste management
and recycling sectors proudly claiming their circular credentials.
The reality is that the circular economy is far more than just a
waste-focus. When asked to write a circular economy article for
this issue of the Journal based on one of the six sectors to be
highlighted, I didn’t know where to start.
Chris Whyte.
I could write reams on each sector, but my dilemma was that
selecting one would be as disingenuous as lumping circular economy
with waste management. “What about the Nexus?” I cried. “I want
to do all of them!” To which the response from the editor was, “Pick
one – and what’s a Nexus?”
So, in my obstinate grumpiness I have decided to expand on the
nexus and take my chances that the editor will indulge my will and
let this one slip though, else se la vie…
Everything is connected
as nature intended, and
nature is good.
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