FINLAND
Stepping Boldly Towards
A CIRCULAR ECONOMY Since the creation of Finland’s roadmap to a circular economy, ever more countries have recognised the importance of advancing a circular economy to mitigate climate change and tackle a host of crises, from resource scarcity to biodiversity loss and climate change.
By Laura Järvinen, Sitra Leading Specialist, and Riku Sinervo, Sitra Specialist
O
n a planet that’s being ravaged by the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, wellbeing can no longer be based solely on the manufacturing of new goods and introducing of new natural resources. The circular economy is an economic model that aims to optimise the system as a whole and tackle the root causes of biodiversity loss, climate change and natural resource depletion.
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Rather than producing more and more goods, in a circular economy we get more value from what we have, and we retain that value within the economy for as long as possible, through smarter designs, digital solutions and a shift from owning products to using services. But how can we actually make the transition to a circular economy? In 2016, Finland was the first country in the world to prepare a national circular economy roadmap, under the leadership of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. This roadmap provides a plan to move the country
Nordic Countries & Serbia 2021
away from a ‘make-take-waste’ linear economy model to one that protects resources and eliminates waste along value chains. The roadmap has proven to be a strong tool in launching a circular change and creating a strong commitment throughout Finnish society. Finland today has a variety of ongoing circular economy activities in several sectors, a governmental programme for advancing the circular economy, and the highest number of circular economy higher education courses in the world. Since the creation of Finland’s
roadmap, ever more countries have recognised the importance of advancing a circular economy to mitigate climate change and tackle a host of crises, from resource scarcity to biodiversity loss and climate change. Circularity is even shaping many visions for the future. For instance, the EU’s new Circular Economy Action Plan featured as a key element of the European Green Deal, which is itself an ambitious plan to build a carbon-neutral economy. The roadmap can be an important route to kickstart new circular initiatives.
