In an article published on June 6, 2017 by the newspaper The Guardian, Kirsi Sormunen, board member of The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, and Kimmo Tiilikainen, Finland’s minister for housing, energy and the environment, outlined the benefits of creating a circular economy and illustrated the urgent need to change the way we use resources and energy. “Our economy is inherently linear,” Sormunen and Tiilikainen explained, following a “produce, use, throw, repeat” pattern. “The current linear model is undermining the very foundation of our future,” the authors stated, because it contributes to “plastics in our oceans, chemicals in our bodies, pollution in our air.” The core principle of the circular economy is “to create much more value and much less waste out of the resources we use.” Therefore, the circular economy’s objective is not only “saving the planet,” but also “creating value, profits and jobs.”
Sormunen and Tiilikainen further informed about a national circular economy roadmap that Finland adopted in 2016. The roadmap contains “an ambitious vision, concrete projects and clear responsibilities” and its drafting process involved 1,000 people from Finish “ministries to trade unions and industry to environmental groups.” Lastly, the authors highlighted the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2017 that took place on June 5-7 in Helsinki, Finland. The event gathered experts, decision makers, and in total over 1,500 participants presenting circular economy solutions and sharing ideas. Video recordings and presentation slides from the different sessions of the forum are available on the event website.
Read more
Kirsi Sormunen and Kimmo Tiilikainen (June 6, 2017). “The circular economy enters the world stage, with Finland leading the way.” The Guardian
Sitra (June 6, 2017). “WCEF2017 begins at Finlandia Hall – Top experts in the circular economy meet for the first time.”
Sitra (June 6, 2017). “10 key takeaways from WCEF2017.”
Sitra (2017). “World circular economy forum 2017.”
