The EU policy on climate change, biodiversity and circular economy: Moving towards a Nexus approach

Abstract

The EU has traditionally adopted a ‘silo approach’ in the policy areas of climate change (CC), biodiversity (BIO) and circular economy (CE), which does not reflect the actual interlinkages between these different domains. The European Green Deal (EGD), in contrast, has been shaped as an integrated growth strategy, which aims at transforming the EU into a climate neutral and resource efficient economy, while protecting, conserving and enhancing the EU's natural capital. The present article carries out an in-depth qualitative analysis to investigate whether the ambition of making the EU environmental policy more consistent with the ‘Nexus thinking’ has been really embedded in the policy design of the whole EGD strategic framework (which currently comprises almost 30 strategic documents). It emerges that, while many CC-BIO-CE interlinkages have been addressed, others that may be critical to meeting the EGD goals still need to be fully understood and managed. Among trade-offs, a special attention should be paid to the planned use of the maritime space according to different objectives that seem difficult to reconcile, the ‘substitution process’ triggered by the large-scale deployment of zero-emission vehicles, and the potential effects on biodiversity of the increasing use of biomaterials. With regard to synergies, the CE-BIO connection may be strengthened through a stricter focus of the CE concept on how resources are extracted (which could include the implementation of regenerative practices). Moreover, in order to truly incorporate CE into CC policy, the real impact of the former on GHG emissions should be better demonstrated and measured.