12.2 External Influence
CE is mainstream in international organisations. The United Nations
(UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the EU Circular Economy Action
Plan constitute the most prominent efforts, promoting the CE influencing/supporting
policy agendas in all their members (UN 2020; European Commission 2020). The
UN SDGs are devised as a global, generic inspirational framework, whereas the EU
regulatory framework is partly mandatory and partly discretionary with increasing
incentives for its implementation creating obligations and opportunities for the
member states.
12.2.1 The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
The SDGs address the CE in the context of sustainability. Appendix 1 offers an
overview of the CE-related content directly or indirectly included in the Sustainable
Development Goals, as well as their respective targets and indicators. The distinctive
feature of the SDGs is that, unlike the Millennium Development Goals, they address
for both developed and developing countries. The SDGs are neither binding nor does
the UN directly fund or otherwise support their integrated implementation but uses
them as guidance for the developing countries’ support by the various UN organisations, like UNCTAD, UNDP, etc. For the developed countries, they constitute an
aid to national policies and are taken over by the OECD and the EU to be translated
into more specific recommendations.
For Greece, which is a developed, yet middle-income country, four main lessons
are derived for the design of its national CE strategy. The SDGs suggest regulatory
interventions for practically all areas related to the CE with emphasis on the special
treatment of hazardous waste, recycling/reuse of waste as well as sea and forest
management. At least equally important to regulation are incentives for the private
sector and civil society. The important role of technology for a profitable CE
indicates that Research and Innovation (R&I) incentives can reinforce the role of
the business sector and accelerate the transition. Several areas like wastewater
treatment, renewable energy and energy efficiency and material consumption and
production can benefit from CE-targeted R&I. While the primary sector plays a
small role for GDP and employment in developed countries, its importance for the
CE is disproportionately relevant: sustainable agriculture, supported by new technologies, precision agriculture and photonics, will contribute to the CE via sustainable food production. Competent public authorities, ministries or otherwise, are
expected to join forces for introducing a CE strategy for agriculture. This is achievable in the short to medium term. Finally, specific additional tools from the public
sector include green public procurement and monitoring of the carbon footprint and
CE indicators, while from the private sector, CSR reporting will improve the
business contribution.
12 Circular Economy in National Smart Specialisation Strategies: The Case of Greece
201
CE is mainstream in international organisations. The United Nations
(UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the EU Circular Economy Action
Plan constitute the most prominent efforts, promoting the CE influencing/supporting
policy agendas in all their members (UN 2020; European Commission 2020). The
UN SDGs are devised as a global, generic inspirational framework, whereas the EU
regulatory framework is partly mandatory and partly discretionary with increasing
incentives for its implementation creating obligations and opportunities for the
member states.
12.2.1 The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
The SDGs address the CE in the context of sustainability. Appendix 1 offers an
overview of the CE-related content directly or indirectly included in the Sustainable
Development Goals, as well as their respective targets and indicators. The distinctive
feature of the SDGs is that, unlike the Millennium Development Goals, they address
for both developed and developing countries. The SDGs are neither binding nor does
the UN directly fund or otherwise support their integrated implementation but uses
them as guidance for the developing countries’ support by the various UN organisations, like UNCTAD, UNDP, etc. For the developed countries, they constitute an
aid to national policies and are taken over by the OECD and the EU to be translated
into more specific recommendations.
For Greece, which is a developed, yet middle-income country, four main lessons
are derived for the design of its national CE strategy. The SDGs suggest regulatory
interventions for practically all areas related to the CE with emphasis on the special
treatment of hazardous waste, recycling/reuse of waste as well as sea and forest
management. At least equally important to regulation are incentives for the private
sector and civil society. The important role of technology for a profitable CE
indicates that Research and Innovation (R&I) incentives can reinforce the role of
the business sector and accelerate the transition. Several areas like wastewater
treatment, renewable energy and energy efficiency and material consumption and
production can benefit from CE-targeted R&I. While the primary sector plays a
small role for GDP and employment in developed countries, its importance for the
CE is disproportionately relevant: sustainable agriculture, supported by new technologies, precision agriculture and photonics, will contribute to the CE via sustainable food production. Competent public authorities, ministries or otherwise, are
expected to join forces for introducing a CE strategy for agriculture. This is achievable in the short to medium term. Finally, specific additional tools from the public
sector include green public procurement and monitoring of the carbon footprint and
CE indicators, while from the private sector, CSR reporting will improve the
business contribution.
12 Circular Economy in National Smart Specialisation Strategies: The Case of Greece
201