The Circular Economy Initiative
The concept of the Circular Economy aims to decouple human well-being and economic activities from environmental damage. If this objective is to be achieved, the way we consume and produce as a society must change fundamentally: away from the so-called „throwaway society” or “throwaway economy“. The aim: a viable regenerative system in which we use fewer resources, produce less waste and radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
With funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland (CEID) was initiated in 2019. The initiative was carried out under the guidance of acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering in cooperation with SYSTEMIQ.
In three interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral working groups on the topics of Circular Business Models, Traction Batteries and Packaging, some 130 experts from more than 50 institutions from science, industry, politics and civil society discussed how to enable and establish circular economic systems. They explored potential fields of application and discussed which framework conditions could lead to a successful implementation. Specific recommendations for action were derived from the results and summarised in the Circular Economy Roadmap for Germany.
The roadmap was published on 11 May 2021 and officially handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The initiative has supported the establishment of relevant company networks and promoted new partnerships and cooperation opportunities that are central to the implementation of a Circular Economy. This has enabled new value networks to emerge and set the course for follow-up projects, which are now united under the umbrella of acatech's Circular Economy Initiative (CEI).
Current Projects
“Circular Economy principles are key to a sustainable economic system. We now need to ensure that these principles are widely adopted in practice. Ultimately, we need a Circular Economy if we are to meet our climate and sustainability targets, both in Germany and throughout the EU, especially in the context of the European Green Deal.
”
Publications
