Green Economy

Green Economy is a new model of economic development. Its aim is to manage the economy in harmony with nature and the environment.

Adriana Neligan for the Conference Board ·
Contribution ·
4 May 2018

EU Circular Economy Package: A Challenging Yet Important Impulse

The European Commission aims to push forward the concepts of “recycle, repair and re-use” and waste avoidance with its Circular Economy Package. The rationale behind a circular economy is to keep resources in use for as long as possible by looking at the complete life cycle of a resource – from extraction to product design, production and consumption to waste management.

Adriana Neligan ·
Interactive Graphic ·
11 Apr 2018

A lot of recycling, but also much waste in economically strong Germany

In the European Union 482 kg of municipal waste is generated per person. In Germany it is even more, but at the same time considerably more German waste is recycled.

Adriana Neligan ·
IW-Kurzbericht ·
18 Apr 2018

2025 recycling target: Only 10 EU countries on track

Two years after adopting the Circular Economy Package, EU institutions finally agreed on new EU waste rules. Despite lower recycling targets as originally envisaged, most countries still have to push recycling to meet the goals. A single method of determining recycling rates was also decided, but an exemption will continue to allow for disparate recycling rates.

Achieving this aim requires a complete modernization of the economy. While new green sectors are created, existing branches of industry are ‘greened’, a process which includes changes in how we deal with resources and emissions. For example, product design and production processes must be adjusted to ensure that there is less waste and lower consumption of raw materials.