Michael Brunn

For years, the discussion about climate protection has been accompanied by the question of how economic growth and ecological sustainability can be reconciled. While some perspectives see these two goals as opposites, it is increasingly evident that ambitious climate policy opens up economic opportunities. The circular economy plays a decisive role in this. The study "The economic benefits of climate action - How decarbonization can enhance competitiveness and growth" by Deloitte and KfW provides an empirical basis for this and shows that wie stark kreislaufwirtschaftliche Ansätze zur Wettbewerbsfähigkeit beitragen können.

Steel is one of the cornerstones of European industry. However, around five percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU are generated in steel mills, which significantly increases the pressure to act on decarbonization. An important lever for this transformation is the higher use of steel scrap. While scrap demand in Europe will increase significantly in the coming years, the amount of high-quality scrap available today is not sufficient to meet the expected demand in industrial applications. In this mixed situation, a raw material stream that has received little attention so far comes into play: disused ships. The report "Scrap steel at sea: How ship recycling can help decarbonise European steel production" by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, Sandbag and the University of Tuscia highlights the strategic role this scrap stream could play and how untapped potential can be unlocked.

After two weeks of fierce negotiations, governments at the UNEA7 have adopted a new resolution on the environmentally sound management of minerals and metals. While the text introduces welcomed mention of structured dialogues, a reporting mechanism and a focus on circularity and tailings recovery, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) warns that negotiators stripped the ambition needed to respond to today's escalating mineral challenges.

However, many of these treatments are based on PFAS compounds (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are currently in the process of being regulated and banned in the European Union due to their environmental persistence, toxicity, and ability to accumulate in living organisms.

Early on 12 December, EU lawmakers struck a political agreement on new rules meant to make the automotive sector more circular - but the deal falls short of its promise, warn theEEB) and Deutsche Umwelthilfe.

Austria's deposit return scheme (DRS) is approaching the end of its first year with stable operational performance and high return volumes. By the end of November 2025, more than 1.2 billion PET bottles and aluminium cans had been collected.

The gasification pilot project proves that used diapers and other absorbent hygiene products can be transformed into valuable raw materials for new chemical products - no complex pre-treatment required. The resulting gas mixture contains carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can be used as feedstock in chemical production, keeping carbon in the loop.

High volumes of clothing sales in Europe mean more items are being discarded and faster. Soaring amounts of surplus product with low resale value is driving textile collectors and sorters to breaking point.

Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) has expressed concern about the Environmental Omnibus proposal released by the European Commission. While the environmental network acknowledges that reducing administrative burden can be beneficial in a limited number of cases, this broad simplification initiative risks sending the wrong signals when it comes to circularity.

Eroding vital protections will sideline people and nature, and leave Europe less competitive, less resilient and less sovereign, warns the EEB,