Directors’ view

By Alice, Mary & Kerrigan, Interim Co-Directors

the possibility of a more circular economy has the potential to transform the

Welcome to the 87th edition of What on Earth featuring way we interact insightful articles focusing on the circular economy. Given with so much that the vast majority of our climate emissions comes from of the world our consumption of goods and services, more circular economy – one where we the possibility of a use, reuse and recycle around us... materials that are already in the system – has the potential to transform the way we interact with so much of the world around us, for the good of both people and planet. Our report, and this edition of What on Earth could not be more timely. The Scottish Government has just launched a consultation, much delayed because of COVID-19, on its plans for legislation to create a circular economy. The good news is that the proposals include scope for consumption-based targets – something we’ve pushed hard for – and we’ll continue to work to influence the final outcome over the coming months. You can make your voice heard by contacting the Government (more infomation on the next page) and chip into our appea to support this work in the enclosed letter. We’re celebrating an important win with the Scottish Government commiting to a ban on new incinerators. We’ve also been working on the issue of scrap steel – an essential component of a sustainable and just economy in Scotland. This edition features an interview with Chris Hellawell, founder of the rather wonderful Edinburgh Tool Library and highlights from our recently published report ‘Circular Economy in Action Around the World’ . The report shares some best practice examples from around the globe including regenerative agriculture in Brazil and the Netherlands, which was the first country to set a circular economy goal and is aiming for a completely circular economy by 2050. We hope you enjoy this edition of What on Earth. Thank you for your continued support and we hope you can make the most of the Scottish summer!