Resource Efficiency Policies Research Articles

Analysing Circular Economy Policies and Initiatives in India and the Way Forward (Presence of Circular Policy Practices in India and the Road Ahead)

The circular economy model, the most recent solution in the drive to achieving sustainable development goals. The concept goes beyond the purview of pure economics and finds itself within the threads of state policy as well. The circular economy model refers to a system where goods live beyond their primary use to be recycled, reduced and prevented from becoming a pollutant. The model works on the principle of minimal yet efficient use of resources. Circular economy models have applications in a variety of fields: from water conservation and energy resources to waste management. This model however has inherent problems which are being observed and worked upon over time. Some of these problems are the systematic application of policy to the deficit in technological information. This paper focuses on various policies based on this model applied in India, their impact and challenges. India is committed to fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals in every aspect, therefore it is imperative to study the effect of the initiatives proposed and executed by the state. This paper touches upon policies such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, National Resource Efficiency Policy, Atal Innovation Mission, Financial Incentives, Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition (G20 Initiative). This paper also tries to understand the challenges that are faced by the model, some of them include a lack of finance to develop infrastructure and develop production units, research to study more energy and cost-efficient systems and awareness that impacts consumer patterns that encourage sustainability-based commercial activities; and presents recommendations to resolve these challenges, awareness and global platforms are examples of the same. as well as conducts an introspection of policies implemented by other nations.

Influence of resource compensation and complete information on green sustainability of semiconductor supply chains

The semiconductor industry provides technological support for a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence, communications, consumer electronics, and medical instruments, but it also contributes to high resource consumption and pollution emissions, which are detrimental to global sustainable development. To promote the semiconductor industry's economic stability and sustainability in parallel with ecological and environmental protection, public awareness of sustainability is driving manufacturers to improve resource utilization and achieve green production of their products. To encourage manufacturers to contribute to global sustainability, governments are involved in supply chain decision-making based on resource and compensation policies. Using efficient resource utilization as an entry point, this study aims to explore whether manufacturers can effectively address the risk known as “strangle hold stuck neck” based on advanced resource utilization in their manufacturing processes, and the role of resource compensation versus full information in this context. The study shows that, in the presence of business competition or geopolitical factors, the disclosure of resource utilization levels to upstream technology suppliers by manufacturers with green production advantages increases their exposure to price increases. Whether or not upstream technology suppliers change their technology licensing decisions or have full information, resource efficiency policies can contribute to a stable product supply and more efficient resource utilization. Notably, there are limits to the setting of taxes and subsidies in resource compensation policies, and different scenarios exhibit different limiting functions for subsidies and taxes.

Advancing circular economy in industrial chemistry and environmental engineering: Principles, alignment with United Nations sustainable development goals, and pathways to implementation

This groundbreaking review explores the crucial role of the circular economy in industrial chemistry and environmental engineering. It surpasses a mere examination of principles and methods, delving into the profound significance and urgency of this transformative shift. By analyzing key elements such as resource efficiency, waste valorization, sustainable product design, industrial symbiosis, and policy integration, the study highlights the power of collaboration, technological advancements, and extensive literature research. It reveals the remarkable alignment between the circular economy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing how circular practices promote resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable production and consumption patterns, thus driving progress across multiple SDGs. With a specific focus on responsible consumption and production, clean energy, innovative industrial practices, climate action, ecosystem protection, water resource management, job creation, economic growth, sustainable urbanization, and collaboration, the review provides a comprehensive roadmap for adopting circularity. Its practical recommendations cover sustainable material selection, resource efficiency, closing loop, digitalization, and robust policy support. In addition, it emphasizes the paramount importance of collaboration, stakeholder engagement, education, capacity building, circular supply chain management, and effective policy frameworks in spearheading circular economy initiatives. Drawing inspiration from diverse circular economy models and compelling case studies in industrial chemistry, the study highlights the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, ensuring both sustainability and positive societal impact. This comprehensive review serves as a guiding light, demonstrating the immense potential of the circular economy in driving sustainable development. It offers actionable guidance for implementing circular practices, empowering professionals to make tangible contributions to a more sustainable future. Additionally, it serves as a foundational piece, fueling the advancement of knowledge, inspiring further research, and propelling remarkable progress in the ever-evolving fields of industrial chemistry and environmental engineering.

Resource efficiency and climate change policies to support West Asia's move towards sustainability: A computable general equilibrium analysis of material flows

The resources and energy sectors make a significant contribution to economic performance in the economies of West Asia. In this study we explore the effect ambitious policies for resource efficiency and greenhouse gas abatement would have on West Asian economies and what their contribution to environmental sustainability could look like. We employ the Global Trade and Environmental Resource Model (GTEM-Resource) to empirically assess the economic and environmental implications of global policy initiatives in the region. Results show that resource efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement policies are complementary in their effects. Resource efficiency policies boost resource use productivity in the region, reduce all categories of material extraction based on sustainable consumption and production behaviour and also caused by trade, and foster economic performance. By contrast, GHG emission abatement policies have a small effect on resource productivity but drive significant GHG reductions that are accompanied by reduced economic performance. When these two policies are combined, real GDP in West Asia is projected to increase by 8% relative to business-as-usual by 2060, while resource extraction and GHG emissions levels in the region would decline dramatically by 40% and 50%, respectively. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would be much better off, compared to other countries in the region, with large increases in real GDP and major reductions in GHG emissions and resource extraction levels. Findings suggest that technology development and climate mitigation policies would result in a win-win solution for all countries in West Asia, contributing to maintaining well-being and protecting the environment on regional and global scales. This shows that there is a pathway to economic prosperity for resource-rich countries and regions.

Evaluation of Environmental Security of Ukraine during the Russian Invasion: State, Challenges, Prospects

The authors propose to use the method of expert evaluations for studying the state of environmental security of Ukraine during the russian invasion of Ukraine as one of the most acceptable from the point of view of a combination of intuitive and rational approaches. In general, the amount of damage caused to the environment of Ukraine during the russian invasion due to various negative environmental events is 224982 million UAH. From the studies carried out, it is clear that the following components are the most problematic for the complex state policy in the field of environmental security of Ukraine: natural resource efficiency policy, environmental policy, licensing and standardization policy. Considering the situation in the field of environmental security of Ukraine during the russian invasion of Ukraine, it is recommended to supplement Ukraine Recovery Plan with the following National programs: (і) reforming public administration in the environmental industry; (іі) climate policy: preventing and adapting to climate change; (ііі) effective waste management; (іv) conservation of natural ecosystems and biological diversity. Restoration and development of protected areas and facilities. The authors underline that intensification of the European integration policy will also contribute to the ecologization of the consciousness of Ukrainians. It is about a more economical attitude of the public towards natural resources, the responsibility of everyone for a clean environment for themselves and subsequent generations.

Resource efficiency and pricing policy of industries the sustainable development context

In the article, the authors analyzed the theoretical foundations of sustainable economic growth based on the research of modern foreign and domestic scientists. It is proved that the economy of the linear type has exhausted itself due to the effect of scale. That is why, today, one of the foreground of research areas among leading domestic and foreign scientists is the concept of sustainable development which should be based on cyclical or circular economy principles. One of the directions of development is working out methods of products price formation taking into account resource-efficient strategies. The article presents price equilibrium scenarios developed by the authors, which were implemented in the oil and gas industry based on business activities for 2015-2020. These scenarios were developed by the authors using Leontiev’s cross-industry model, which explores how do these changes can impact the performance of resource use, based on changes in direct cost ratios, value added ratios and intermediate consumption ratios.

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ РЕСУРСОСБЕРЕЖЕНИЯ ПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ НА ОСНОВЕ ПРОГРАММНО-ЦЕЛЕВОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ИННОВАЦИОННОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬЮ

At the present stage of development, in an unstable economic situation, the issues of increasing the resource efficiency of industrial enterprises, increasing their competitiveness in the conditions of economic sanctions imposed on Russia, as well as the organization of import substitution processes, due to the withdrawal of foreign companies from Russian markets, the implementation of resource conservation and resource efficiency policies are of particular relevance to industrial enterprises. The study suggests the direction of increasing the resource efficiency of industrial enterprises through the introduction of program-targeted methods of innovative development. The solution to the problem is the development of innovative activities that allow regulating the use of the resource base and reducing the consumption of resources for the production of innovative products. The paper proposes a method for assessing the use of the resource base at the enterprise, in order to determine the volume of resource costs and evaluation indicators. This methodological approach guarantees the result when using the assessment tools, allows monitoring the implementation of the proposed solutions in the field of resource efficiency.

Quantifying longevity and circularity of copper for different resource efficiency policies at the material and product levels

AbstractResource efficiency strategies are emerging on policy agendas worldwide. Commonly, resource efficiency policies aim at decreasing losses at the waste management stage and, thus, diverge from public interest in more comprehensive resource efficiency measures that include a focus the earlier material life cycle stages. Just in recent years, improvements in the lifetimes of products and increased repair and reuse ability have become policy objectives in some countries. However, the effectiveness of policy measures is usually not assessed, even though it is crucial to support informed policy‐making and efficiently decrease the environmental impact of resource use. In this paper, we provide such an assessment for the copper cycle, the third most consumed metal with sharply increasing demand. Under current practices, in Western Europe and North America, 50% and 44% of the losses by 2050 occur at end‐of‐life collection, and only 2% of losses take place at the recovery stage; in Middle East and Africa for 19% and 54%, respectively. By 2050, most copper would be lost in China with a proportion of 58%. We evaluate the resource efficiency by quantifying the two key parameters, circularity and longevity, that is, how often and how long the material is in use in the anthroposphere. Our results show that the current global longevity of high‐grade copper is 47 ± 2.5 years, and a copper atom is used in 2.1 ± 0.1 applications on average. Ambitious political measures across the life cycle can increase longevity by 85% and circularity by 45%.

New Policy Framework with Plastic Waste Control Plan for Effective Plastic Waste Management

With an increasing use of plastic, considerable plastic waste is generated, threatening the environment and public health. In particular, changes in living patterns in urban areas have significantly impacted the rate at which plastic waste increases every year. Thus, governments in many developed countries have implemented numerous policies to reduce plastic waste generation. Among them is the concept of circular economy that aims to protect the environment from plastic pollution and promote growth and innovation in industry and human life through overall changes in designing, producing, using, and recycling plastic products. The Korean government has implemented the Resource Circulation Act (RCA), which includes the concept of circular economy and resource efficiency policy for overall waste management. Following the concept of RCA, the Plastic Waste Control Plan (PWCP) was established for the comprehensive management of plastic waste. Therefore, this study introduces the goals and strategies of PWCP, which has a circulation system of four stages of production, consumption, discharge, and recycling, as well as the major roadblocks in the stages impeding the achievement of the goals and strategies. This study also suggests countermeasures at the government level for solving the major problems in the four stages.

Beyond energy savings: The necessity of optimising smart electricity systems with resource efficiency and coherent waste policy in Europe

European Union (EU) law currently poses energy efficiency requirements which could be achieved in part by using demand side response (DSR). This includes the use of storage and smart appliances. However, such means are not stimulated in the electricity market(s) as there is insufficient demand for flexibility from these appliances. This originates from the current lack of value for flexibility, and, consequently, of incentives for investing in electric and electronic equipment (EEE) able to provide it. One solution could be to include ‘smartness’ in the design and labelling of appliances. This article introduces the idea of expanding already existing legal instruments - the energy labelling and ecodesign frameworks – to include the ‘flexibility potential’ of household EEE. This would link regulation for such equipment to the requirements of a more efficient electricity system and allow for standards and methods to assess potential system efficiency gains to be created, and ideally, a market for the production and sale of equipment providing DSR. Ultimately, it would contribute to increased efficiency of EEE and especially of the electricity system. Considering that energy and resource efficiency are priorities in EU law and policy, the article proposes a ‘full-chain approach’ that expands the concept of lifecycle of household EEE to include their potential to interact with the local electricity network by means of DSR. The article studies EU policy instruments addressing energy and resource efficiency, and EU legislation on the electricity system with a focus on household EEE and their potential to increase energy efficiency by DSR.

Characterization of resource consumption and efficiency trends in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: Economy-wide biotic and abiotic material flow accounting from 1978 to 2017

This study, conducted as a first try, explores the resource metabolism in three main economies in South Asia (in terms of both scale and growing rate of economy) namely Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, with a standard economy-wide material flow accounting approach using the most updated data from 1978 to 2017. In detail, resource consumption patterns, resource efficiency and productivity, trade related issues, as well as macro-policies affecting regional resource utilization were analyzed in-depth. Results highlighted that, in general, rapid consumption of imported resources, especially construction minerals, fossil fuels, and industrial minerals has emerged. Domestic material consumption per capita increased by 81%, 93% and 46% during 1978–2017 in the three countries, respectively, due to the living standards enhancement, improved urban infrastructure as well as rapid industrial development. With rapidly growing resource consumption, improvements in resource productivity were still low compared with mature economies like Japan and United States. It was 410.7 USD/t for Bangladesh, followed by India (358.7 USD/t) and Pakistan (275.0 USD/t), as of 2017. One critical finding was that resource intensive production (e.g., primary materials, textile and agricultural products etc.) was driving most of the bilateral trade among the three countries, which resulted in lower overall resource productivity. The other critical insight was the future increasing pressure on regional and global resource competition, according to the revealed rising inflow of foreign resources in the studied countries. Finally, the macro-policy analysis highlighted that the impacts of environmental protection and resource efficiency policies were far from enough. And, lower per capita GDP of this region was still a significant impediment for integrated environmental and resources management. Higher focus on resource productivity, from a policy perspective, on agricultural and industrial sectors is highly recommended to forward beneficial implications for the selected countries.

Policies tackling the “web of constraints” on resource efficient practices: the case of mobility

In practice, environmental policy is only moving slowly from a focus on promoting environmental technologies to a focus on greening socio-technical systems. Policy measures to stimulate resource efficiency (RE) typically address the national, sectoral, or company level. This article shows how an analysis addressing practices that citizens engage in, such as eating or mobility, can contribute to more effective RE policy. It is instrumental to highlight policy contradictions in the current mix of policies and offer suggestions for stronger policy synergies. We offer a conceptual and empirical analysis based on the results of a large-scale survey (1200+ respondents) in three countries (Austria, Hungary, and The Netherlands), focusing on one of the most resource intensive consumption domains: mobility. We apply a framework that includes the social context of resource consumption, addressing how practices that citizens engage in are shaped by both “collective” physical infrastructures, the business models of products, social meanings, and regulatory incentives, and also by “individual” knowledge and skills, values, and financial capabilities. Our “web of constraints” perspective on RE highlights the interrelatedness of individual actor and collective factors. It is instrumental for an integrative policy discussion, addressing a range of factors hindering RE, anticipating policy contradictions, to capitalize on synergies.

Resources Optimization and Sustainable Waste Management in Construction Chain in Italy: Toward a Resource Efficiency Plan

The aim of this paper, by focusing on the construction chain, is to provide a functional-cognitive framework for orienting the use of all the available resources including raw materials, products and by-products but also residues and wastes in order to support national resource efficiency policies, to identify potential actions and to achieve resources efficiency and sustainable waste management within the entire supply chain. A material flow analysis (MFA) has been developed, on a national basis in Italy, and extended to the whole chain of construction and quarrying activities as a tool to develop the cognitive approach using the most recent data on production, sale and import–export, and to establish the potential domestic demand for each product. Waste production, current management and the potential of reuse within the chain have been investigated for several categories of wastes. The potential substitution of raw materials by residues produced in other industrial sectors has been also investigated, identifying their current reuse rate, the potential not yet exploited as well as the operational constrains and the critical issues. From this analysis enormous potentialities emerge for waste valorization and raw material substitutions that nowadays are not adequately exploited. Significant efforts, in term of national policies and strategies are needed to effectively shift towards a full resources management efficiency and circular economy development.

Circular building materials: Carbon saving potential and the role of business model innovation and public policy

Buildings are responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with much of their life cycle impacts stemming from embodied impacts of building materials. Both at EU and Member State level, circular economy and resource efficiency policies are promoting production of lower-impact building materials with secondary material input. However, secondary material strategies do not result in carbon saving by default, and depend on businesses developing effective and economic applications that can overcome the many barriers to closing material loops. This paper aims to advance understanding of the relevance of secondary material for decarbonisation of the building sector, as well as the interplay of business model innovation and policy instruments in this transition. We used a comparative case study of three pioneering Scandinavian companies that produce circular building materials to estimate the carbon saving potential of using secondary material. We also examined business model innovations to implement strategies, and companies’ experienced and desired policies to help remove barriers. The results show clearly that all three cases offer potential for carbon savings. As the savings vary significantly, findings suggest that careful consideration of affected processes and markets is a key to attaining carbon savings. Business model innovations to enable secondary material use involve establishing key partnerships to access secondary materials, developing recovery process and technology, targeting customer segments that value lower environmental impacts, and considering life cycle costs. Public policies that can help companies remove barriers include 1) incorporating reuse of higher material value in construction and demolition waste targets, and 2) incentivising waste collection and recovery markets to offer recovered material at higher value.

Transferability of Material Composition Indicators for Residential Buildings: A Conceptual Approach Based on a German‐Japanese Comparison

SummaryMost anthropogenic material stocks and flows are associated with the building sector. Several recent studies have developed material composition indicators (MCIs) suitable for calculating material stocks and flows of the building sector using bottom‐up approaches, which hold great potential to provide information to support resource efficiency policies. A major limitation is the lack of country‐specific MCIs. This study aims to introduce a concept for a better transferability of MCI across different contexts by proposing requirements for defining MCIs and to discuss options and limits of the transferability. We take existing MCIs for residential buildings in Germany and Japan as case studies and make them comparable by applying harmonization methods. Based on that, similarities and differences are systematically identified and discussed, considering their socioeconomic, cultural, technical, and environmental factors. Our results indicate significant limitations to the transferability of MCIs for detached houses, while bigger apartment complexes show greater homogeneity despite the very different environments in which they are constructed. This indicates that while it is possible to assume foreign MCIs as plausible for large constructions, local coefficients need to be estimated for smaller single‐family homes.

Roadmap to Rebound: How to Address Rebound Effects from Resource Efficiency Policy

Increasing demand for resources has been met with a new wave of resource efficiency policies worldwide. Such policies are, however, vulnerable to rebound effects when increased resource efficiency leads to additional resource use via behavioural and systemic responses. Yet, the implications of policy-induced rebounds are mostly unknown since most studies have focused on costless and exogenous efficiency improvements that are not linked to any specific policy intervention. After reviewing the literature, we provide guidance for the analysis of policy-induced rebounds. With regards to scope and method design, we highlight the untapped potential of life cycle assessment (to capture trade-offs between life cycle stages and environmental pressures) and macro-economic modelling (to reveal economic consequences beyond supply chain effects). We also find striking asymmetries in research efforts, leaving knowledge gaps for key resource efficiency strategies targeting, among others, materials, water, land, biodiversity, and waste. Lastly, rebound effects generally focus on a single resource, usually energy, and much is ignored about their implications in the context of resource interlinkages. A better understanding of such cross-resource rebounds is key to design and to assess the effectiveness of emerging policy paradigms such as the resource nexus and the sustainable development goals.

Do policy makers tell good stories? Towards a multi-layered framework for mapping and analysing policy narratives embracing futures

Faced with major global problems, public policies increasingly embrace narratives of systemic transition towards desired future. This article introduces a conceptual and analytical framework designed to reconstruct and analyse historical and prospective policy discourses on emerging societal challenges. The proposed Policy Narrative Framework Analysis (POLiFRAME) is novel in integrating frame analysis with the notion of theory of change connecting historical and prospective dimensions of policy narratives. The framework adds an emphasis on the selection and interpretation of empirical evidence to support policy narratives. Application of the framework is illustrated with a case study on frames and reframing of EU resource efficiency policy.

A Policy Mix for Resource Efficiency in the EU: Key Instruments, Challenges and Research Needs

Against the background of an often wasteful use of natural resources, the European Union has made resource efficiency a top policy priority. Policy formulation is, however, at a very early stage in many Member States, with often vague notions of what resource efficiency means, characterised by fragmented instruments and overlapping competencies. This paper develops a conceptual framework for defining, assessing and developing resource efficiency policy mixes. It argues that a mix of policies and instruments is best suited to overcoming the complex challenges of the 21st Century. Such a mix addresses multiple resource domains at a strategic, high level and contains interacting instruments targeting multiple actors, levels of governance and sectors and life-cycle stages of resource use. This paper looks at criteria for effective resource efficiency policy instruments, presents both an indicative policy mix across 9 policy domains and case studies (on environmental harmful subsidies, supply chain efficiency in food systems and product-service systems) and identifies key challenges to overcome trade-offs in instrument design, maximise synergies, reduce conflicts, promote coherence, coordinate activities and move from theory to practice. Research needs are discussed regarding who shall devise, implement, and coordinate such a policy mix, considering negotiating power, timing and complexity.

Indicators and Target Setting for Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Policies in Europe

Indicators and Target Setting for Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Policies in Europe

Identifying critical supply chains and final products: An input-output approach to exploring the energy-water-food nexus

Recent advances in detailed multiregional input-output databases offers new opportunities to use these environmental accounting tools to explore the interrelationships between energy, water and food–the energy-water-food nexus. This paper takes the UK asa case study and calculates energy, water and food consumption-based accounts for 1997–2013. Policies, designed to reduce the environmental impact of consumption of products, can intervene at many stages in a product’s whole life-time from ‘cradle to gate’. We use input-output analysis techniques to investigate the interaction between the energy, water and food impacts of products at different points along their supply chains, from the extraction of material and burning of energy, to the point of final consumption. We identify the twenty most important final products whose large energy, water and food impacts could be captured by various demand-side strategies such as reducing food waste or dietary changes. We then use structural-path analysis to calculate the twenty most important supply chains whose impact could be captured by resource efficiency policies which act at the point of extraction and during the manufacturing process. Finally, we recognise that strategies that aim to reduce environmental impacts should not harm the socioeconomic well-being of the UK and her trade partners and suggest that pathways should be targeted where the employment and value added dependencies are relatively low.