An interesting read about how the activities of Scotland can influence the behaviour of other countries aiming to be more circular!
Article posted on February 8th of 2022
National decision-makers have returned home from COP26 in Glasgow with great pledges to follow through in the months ahead before meeting again in Egypt later this year. It’s time to walk the walk after two weeks of rigorous lectures. With no time to waste if they want to meet their commitments, countries of all sizes must get practical about how they will meet their goals. Scotland is reinforcing its position as a trailblazer on circularity by becoming one of the first countries to develop a circular economy policy, fueling a business-led movement, and electing the world’s first Minister of the Circular Economy. And it’s demonstrating that it’s not scared to act, from actual circular investments to employee training. Scotland, a country known for its engineering, shipbuilding, and locomotives throughout the industrial era, is now attempting to pave the path for itself and other countries to achieve the ‘net-zero age.’
The article features how you can trace the steps Scotland has taken so far on its journey towards circularity and six tips for countries who want to get practical about the circular economy.
- Give Circular Economy a seat at the table – The Scottish Government has legislated a 75% reduction in 1990 levels of emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2045.
- Re-imagine major industries – Scotland is widely recognised for two primary exports: Atlantic Salmon and oil and gas, with coasts spanning the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. However, Scotland is not afraid to adapt its biggest businesses in order to make them suitable for their people and the future.
- Put people at the centre – It is understood that in order to transform Scotland’s economy, its people and their abilities would be required. Nicola Sturgeon remarked, “I want to see the skills, infrastructure, and knowledge that have been built up over decades in the north-east of Scotland and the North Sea transferred to developing the renewable energy infrastructure we need.”
- Drive change through cities and businesses – Scotland recognises that circular economy interventions can help cities and businesses to work together to build back better and tackle climate change A 2020 report on building a resilient economy noted: ‘As Scottish businesses rethink their business models following the crisis, there is a real opportunity to embed the principles of a circular economy to promote new ways of reducing our use of scarce natural resources’.
- Remember, size isn’t everything – Scotland’s autonomous powers in sectors like education aid it in creating a circular economy-friendly environment. It also released an indicative national defined contribution to the Paris Agreement, outlining how Scotland, as a member of the United Kingdom, plans to contribute to the tremendous challenge of lowering global temperatures.
You can find the article here