Circularity as a Strategic Enabler to Climate Action

We are living through a triple planetary crisis which share a common root: the linear economic model of “extract‑produce‑dispose”. The OECD’s Environmental Outlook on the Triple Planetary Crisis stresses this linkage, while the International Resource Panel shows that extraction and processing of materials alone generate more than 55 % of worldwide greenhouse‑gas emissions. Consequently, a sole focus on the energy transition cannot close the emissions gap. 

What is needed is a radical paradigm shift toward circularity: redesigning how materials are conceived, used and reintegrated so that they remain in the economic system as long as possible and yield their highest value. The climate agenda now reflects this insight. At COP 28 circular economy appeared for the first time in a formal cover decision, and the Mitigation Work Programme created a dedicated strand on the mitigation potential of circular approaches. Under the Turkish Presidency “Zero Waste” became a top priority of the Action Agenda, signalling that material flows and climate outcomes are seen as inseparably linked. 

This side event convenes government representatives, researchers who have built the evidence base, private‑sector pioneers implementing solutions, and think‑tanks translating science into policy pathways. Our goal is to connect the political priorities set by the Turkish Presidency with the technical and economic feasibility already demonstrated by science, business and civil society.