Hello everyone. Thank you for joining me on this course about the circular economy. This economic model will help us move towards a more sustainable world.

We will look at it together. But first, what is the circular economy? Simply put, it is the exact opposite of our current economy, the linear economy.

Schematically, to create wealth, our economic system follows a process: extract, produce, distribute, consume, and dispose. When the process is over, and we are at the end of the line, we go back to the beginning with new raw materials, and it repeats itself, again and again. That’s why it’s called the linear economy.

But this model has become a big problem. Firstly, because resources are not infinite. They are limited.

Resources fit into 4 categories. First, there are renewable resources, which include biomass, like animals and plants, but also water, air, etc. These resources regenerate naturally.

. . if we avoid overexploiting them!

But there are also non-renewable resources: Fossil resources: oil, coal, and natural gas. Non-metallic minerals such as sand, gravel, and clay… And finally, metals: iron, aluminum, cobalt and copper for example. .

. Since 1970, global material extraction has more than tripled. We have gone from extracting 27 billion tons to more than 90 billion in 2020.

And the projections for the coming years IF NOTHING IS DONE are devastating. The OECD estimates that material extraction could DOUBLE by 2060. Looking at metals, some are already under so much pressure that specialists fear shortages in the medium term, especially for copper, lithium, and cobalt.

In non-metallic minerals, the eyes of the world are fixed on sand. Did you know that sand for industrial use is depleting before our eyes? Yet the demand is growing because sand is used to make concrete and glass.

. . This makes it the second most used resource in the world, after water.

And, on the subject of water. You may say that it is a renewable resource, thanks to the water cycle. That’s true.

But the problem is the amount of available fresh water. Our society consumes much more fresh water than nature can provide. .

. As a result, the reserves no longer have time to renew themselves. And at the same time, global warming is causing more droughts!

In short, our current system cannot work anymore! If we stay on our trajectory, by 2050, more than 50% of the world’s population is likely to be affected by water stress, the situation where water resources are less than what is needed. But this is not the only problem with the linear economy.

At all the stages of our “line” from extraction to the product’s end of life. . .

our economy has negative impacts on climate and biodiversity. Resource extraction itself can cause air, soil, or water pollution. .

. Or all of these at the same time. According to the UN, resource extraction and processing account for 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress impacts, and half of greenhouse gas emissions.

But that’s not all. At the consumption stage: more pollution and gas emissions . .

. And then. .

. at the end of life. .

. the monstrous accumulation of waste. .

. which ends up buried or incinerated. .

. or worse. .

. untreated. .

. This is unsustainable from an environmental point of view. .

. Even with technological advances that would optimize the use of resources. This will not be enough to respect planetary boundaries.

And one more thing, this model also weakens our economy. Remember the covid crisis in 2020. There were supply disruptions for consumer goods and for high-tech components, such as semiconductors, for example.

So, companies realized that in this linear economy, they are VULNERABLE. To reduce this vulnerability, diversifying suppliers will not be enough: we must reexamine our economic model itself. Finally, this linear model is slowing the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Many of the technologies that underpin this transition depend on critical metals— which is a limited resource. For example, electric vehicles, which we need to decarbonize transportation, require copper and lithium for their batteries. However, for copper alone, 90% of the resources known to date are likely to have been consumed by 2050.

In short, the walls are closing in on all sides. This is why we need to bring out another model. To leave the linear economy behind.

What if we thought circular? We’ll talk about it right after. See you soon!