Potočnik: The world is out of social, economic and environmental balance

According to Potočnik, who chairs the consultative committee of the platform Circular Change, the first steps towards a circular economy are being made and the key stakeholders are giving their declarative support, but it is time to turn words into actions.

To achieve a circular economy the private and public sector need to work hand in hand, he said, explaining that the role of the public sector was particularly important for giving the signal that rational and efficient use of resources is also economically attractive.

While the economy can move things to a certain degree, the public sector must contribute to moving things in the right direction by giving the right signals.

Potočnik thus believes governments must engage in the process of introducing a circular economy through their economic policies - from how business results are measured to tax policies,...