Europe's Path to Net Zero 2050: Green Deal Industrial Plan & Circular Economy Solutions

Achieving Net Zero by 2050 involves reducing carbon emissions to zero across Europe in order to limit global temperature increases and maintain them within 1.5 °C. To aid Europe in becoming the first climate-neutral economy, the Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age was introduced in February 2023. This plan is built on four key components: creating a predictable and streamlined regulatory environment, accelerating access to clean technology funding, enhancing skill development, and establishing new business regulations for resilient supply chains.
 
Research indicates that 45% of carbon emissions stem from products rather than energy. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on improving product design, reusing production waste, implementing industrial symbiosis to optimize the use of secondary raw materials, and recovering resources at the end of their life cycle. This approach necessitates applying circular economy principles throughout the various stages of industrial production.
 
For instance, the practice of industrial symbiosis, where the waste and by-products of one business serve as raw materials for another, is expected to expand. This method goes beyond mere recycling by ensuring that energy and waste are efficiently utilized, much like the processes found in natural ecosystems.