Ahead of the Circular Valley Forum on 16 November, Nanette Braun from the United Nations has described the circular economy as “critical” for the survival of humanity.
The Circular Valley Forum brings together over 1,000 decision-makers including government officials, board members and executives from major companies, and scientists.
Speaking ahead of the event, Nanette Braun, Head of Communications Campaigns at the United Nations and one of the guests of honour at the Circular Valley Forum, said: “We must steer away from what is clearly an unsustainable model and move toward less destructive resource extraction, but also toward lowering emissions and cutting down on waste and pollution. It is important to understand that circularity isn’t just a fad – it is critical for humanity to survive.”
According to Braun, 1.7 Earths would be needed to match humanity’s current resource consumption. However, the expert from New York is still hopeful. The guest from the UN sees “momentum” for the entire circular economy because there are initiatives for sustainability in many areas.
We must steer away from what is clearly an unsustainable model and move toward less destructive resource extraction.
She said: “The knowledge exchange happening at gatherings like the Circular Valley Forum provides important insights and stimulus, also for the wider industry community, and supports informed decisions in transitioning away from a linear business model.”
Nanette Braun says she sees the planet threatened by a “triple crisis”: climate change, pollution and the loss of biodiversity. The solution to overcoming these interconnected problems is the circular economy, Braun says.
She said: “We must steer away from what is clearly an unsustainable model and move toward less destructive resource extraction, but also toward lowering emissions and cutting down on waste and pollution. It is important to understand that circularity isn’t just a fad – it is critical for humanity to survive.”
The circular economy should not be understood as a “menu” from which individual steps can be selected one after the other, Braun contended, but a systematic approach that is “the only viable option”.
