Memo: Manifesto for a resource-efficient Europe

In a world with growing pressures on resources and the environment, the EU has no choice but to go for the transition to a resource-efficient and ultimately regenerative circular economy. Our future jobs and competitiveness, as a major importer of resources, are dependent on our ability to get more added value, and achieve overall decoupling, through a systemic change in the use and recovery of resources in the economy. According to the OECD, this could lead to steady economic growth with business opportunities across the whole economy.

Europe is taking important decisions on strengthening economic and monetary union, the future EU budget and engaging with the international community in the follow up of the Rio+20 Summit. Against this background, the European Resource Efficiency Platform is calling on business, labour and civil society leaders to support resource efficiency and the transformation to a circular economy and society now because this offers a path out of the current crisis towards a reindustrialisation of the European economy on the basis of resource-efficient growth that will last.

ESO: Background information: Press Release: How can we do more with less? Commission gathers high-level input on resource-efficient growth http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-how-can-we-do-more-with-less-commission-gathers-high-level-input-on-resource-efficient-growth/

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