Michael Brunn

After it has been a bit quieter in Brussels in recent weeks in terms of climate and environment, things really got going again on 2 July. Climate neutrality, the Clean Industrial Deal, waste shipments and the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive were on the agenda.

The supply of critical minerals is becoming increasingly important due to increasing demand, especially in the energy sector. The International Energy Agency's "Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025" shows that an adequate supply cannot be taken for granted.

With the single market, the EU has considerable economic power. However, the market is still far from working as it should. With a new strategy, the Commission now wants to change this.

Although e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, it still receives too little attention in management. However, tackling the problem requires more than just technical solutions. According to researchers at the University of Nevada, a combination of cost-effective chemical recycling technologies and forward-looking policy reforms for the effective management and reduction of e-waste is the solution. In the report "Exploring the e-waste crisis: strategies for sustainable recycling and circular economy integration", which has been published in Recycling, they present their approach.

In Great Britain, too, the number of mobile phones is steadily increasing. So far, however, it has not been possible to recover larger quantities for reuse or recycling. On behalf of WWF-UK, Resource Future has investigated why this is the case and what can be done about it.

Will saving the climate come from space? For some time now, so-called geoengineering, which provides for large-scale interventions in the climate system, has been discussed. However, the report "Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) - Effect, Risks and Governance of an Intervention in the Global Climate System by Solar Geoengineering" by the Federal Environment Agency shows that much of this is wishful thinking at best.

It added that "the calculation methodology will serve as a model for future recycled content rules in other sectors, such as packaging, automotives and textiles. This approach is designed to give investors confidence in the long-term stability and potential of these technologies."

As policymakers around the world define what constitutes "green steel," the BIR is urging a fair and science-based approach - one that accurately reflects emissions performance and ensures that the full benefits of recycling are recognised in the transition to a decarbonised steel sector.

The Action Plan addresses key challenges, namely high energy costs, unfair global competition, and weak demand, while promoting investment in innovation and sustainability. The Action Plan is accompanied by a simplification omnibus on chemicals further streamline and simplify key EU chemicals legislation, alongside a proposal to strengthen the governance and financial sustainability of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Biowaste is Europe's largest municipal waste stream, yet it remains absent from the EU's 2018 Bioeconomy Strategy thus leaving much of its potential untapped. Through proper separate collection and treatment, Europe can transform biowaste into renewable energy, circular fertilisers, and valuable soil improvers — while reducing landfilling, creating green local jobs and cutting dependence on imported fossil-based fertilisers.