The Rediscovery Centre reposted this
Building markets was a critical theme at the CIRCULÉIRE conference last week. Sarah Miller CEO of The Rediscovery Centre brought us up to date on the latest citizen circularity insights. Sarah referred to the circular economy transition being critical to address climate change and biodiversity loss, but it is ‘not without its challenges’. 'The behavioural change we are looking for is going to be on a scale that has rarely been witnessed before, and that's both at a consumer level and also at a business level’. Sarah referenced behavioural models that tell us that if you have ‘capability, opportunity and motivation, you'll achieve change’. 'The appetite for change is growing with awareness levels rising, but the barriers to access do exist, and it's making it harder or even more expensive for people to transition'. This is where Sarah believes that the ‘business imperative’ lies. The creation of circular businesses and models and the adoption of alternative service design principles needs to happen, but it needs to happen at a scale that overrides accessibility issues like cost and reach. It's better to ‘provide people with consumer choices and highlight the alternative sustainable solutions that provide better results’, than ‘actually telling people what to do, particularly where the solutions don't yet exist’. The Rediscovery Centre’s most recent tracker with Behaviour & Attitudes shows that 55 per cent of the Irish population are now aware of the circular economy. The most compelling reason for a circular transition within the Irish population still lies in the ‘moral duty to future generations and the management of natural resources’. Sarah referenced research undertaken by UCC looking at the willingness of the Irish population to engage in circular economy behaviour, which showed ‘overwhelming support for take-back schemes, repair, remanufacturing and second-hand goods’. In contrast to this, research (also undertaken by UCC) looking at SMEs in the Irish construction, manufacturing, retail and wholesale sector, and their willingness to adopt circular economy models found that ‘only 18 to 30 percent of businesses have adopted circular economy models, and on average more than half have not, and are not considering it either’. Sarah concluded by referring to the new National Platform for Circular Economy Communications & Citizen Engagement supported by Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications which is due to launch early next year. The public-facing platform’s vision is that Ireland is engaged, informed and enabled to transition to a circular economy. Sarah called on the CIRCULÉIRE industry audience to help deliver on that vision by providing the opportunities for sustainable consumer choices, products and solutions. Geraldine Brennan, PhD Sophie Reynolds Claire Downey Agnese Metitieri Valentina Rangel Leon Valentina Tarasco Daniel Whelan Leanne Conroy Rasmus Jørgensen Martijn Lopes Cardozo