benefits for human well-being and the environment, whereas the European Green
Deal, the foremost yearning action plan of the European Union, points at expanding
the EU’s GHG emissions reduction target for 2030 to at slightest 50% compared
with 1990 levels, making the foremost driven bundle of measures, accompanied by a
starting guide of key policies in cutting-edge investigate and development, in green
innovations and sustainable solutions. Among them, Deep Demonstrations by EIT
Climate-KIC using systems innovation approach seek the decarbonization of the
European ports and the sustainable transformation of their key components EIT
Climate-KIC (2020b). At the same time, international institutions (e.g. IAPH,
ESPO) have launched programs pointing at bringing together key partners related
to ports to discuss on the most important challenges confronted nowadays, to engage
port proactively take the duty of giving reward schemes or green certificates to
complied ships and to recognize key markers in measuring GHG outflows.
The study finds out that most of the EU ports are effectively working to secure the
environment with the goal of complying with sustainable development standards.
Most of the environmental indicators reflect a positive evolution since 2013. In
principle, EU ports continue to improve their environmental performance and to
maintain or even enhance the declared policies of compliance, environmental protection and sustainable development. Whereas it is troublesome to distinguish and
actualize at once ‘best practices’ for all the environmental impacts that port exercises
create, positive steps towards sustainable development and administration are progressively taking place.
13.2.6 Circular Economy
A simple approach to tackle many of the challenges addressed above is integrating
circular thinking in the majority (if not all) of the economic activity. The United
Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan constitute the most prominent efforts promoting the circular
economy (CE) influencing/supporting policy agendas in all their members
(UN 2020; European Commission 2020c). CE is bringing together the values of
sustainability while having an impact on the economy, the environment and the
society.
Chapter 12 aims at shed light at the opportunities, which can arise by combing
smart specialization (SSS) with circular economy in pilot areas in a European
country, which is underperforming in CE implementation, Greece. The methodology
used is a policy mapping followed by validation participatory workshops and
meeting targeting key stakeholders in the country. The study finds that both CE
and SSS need to be revised in order to be more implementation oriented and efficient
in financial terms. CE implementation in Greece and other EU countries will be
further studied by two more EIT Climate-KIC projects, namely, CL Hub and CE
Beacons, which aim at identifying the key drivers of decision-making related to the
uncertainty around climate changes and how circular thinking could resolve these
13 Conclusions and Recommendations
253
Deal, the foremost yearning action plan of the European Union, points at expanding
the EU’s GHG emissions reduction target for 2030 to at slightest 50% compared
with 1990 levels, making the foremost driven bundle of measures, accompanied by a
starting guide of key policies in cutting-edge investigate and development, in green
innovations and sustainable solutions. Among them, Deep Demonstrations by EIT
Climate-KIC using systems innovation approach seek the decarbonization of the
European ports and the sustainable transformation of their key components EIT
Climate-KIC (2020b). At the same time, international institutions (e.g. IAPH,
ESPO) have launched programs pointing at bringing together key partners related
to ports to discuss on the most important challenges confronted nowadays, to engage
port proactively take the duty of giving reward schemes or green certificates to
complied ships and to recognize key markers in measuring GHG outflows.
The study finds out that most of the EU ports are effectively working to secure the
environment with the goal of complying with sustainable development standards.
Most of the environmental indicators reflect a positive evolution since 2013. In
principle, EU ports continue to improve their environmental performance and to
maintain or even enhance the declared policies of compliance, environmental protection and sustainable development. Whereas it is troublesome to distinguish and
actualize at once ‘best practices’ for all the environmental impacts that port exercises
create, positive steps towards sustainable development and administration are progressively taking place.
13.2.6 Circular Economy
A simple approach to tackle many of the challenges addressed above is integrating
circular thinking in the majority (if not all) of the economic activity. The United
Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan constitute the most prominent efforts promoting the circular
economy (CE) influencing/supporting policy agendas in all their members
(UN 2020; European Commission 2020c). CE is bringing together the values of
sustainability while having an impact on the economy, the environment and the
society.
Chapter 12 aims at shed light at the opportunities, which can arise by combing
smart specialization (SSS) with circular economy in pilot areas in a European
country, which is underperforming in CE implementation, Greece. The methodology
used is a policy mapping followed by validation participatory workshops and
meeting targeting key stakeholders in the country. The study finds that both CE
and SSS need to be revised in order to be more implementation oriented and efficient
in financial terms. CE implementation in Greece and other EU countries will be
further studied by two more EIT Climate-KIC projects, namely, CL Hub and CE
Beacons, which aim at identifying the key drivers of decision-making related to the
uncertainty around climate changes and how circular thinking could resolve these
13 Conclusions and Recommendations
253