While the use of fossil fuels is inherently linear, renewable energy solutions, such as solar and wind, provide an immense opportunity for transitioning to a circular economy.

As countries strive to decarbonize their economies – with many adopting targets to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century - and meet commitments under the Paris Agreement, among the main approaches adopted is the scaling up of renewable energy in electricity production through targeted policy support schemes.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy technologies like solar and wind are fundamental to reducing emissions in the electricity sector, which is today the single largest source of CO2 emissions. In the IEA’s pathway to net zero, almost 90% of global electricity generation in 2050 would come from renewable sources, with solar PV and wind together accounting for nearly 70%.

Moving to a circular economy - through recycling materials, extending their use as much as possible – can reduce both the cost for renewable energy generation and its environmental impact. But it also brings significant challenges. Batteries, for example, show the problem of scarcity of resources and the pressing need to recycle resources and materials in a sustainable economic system.
Renewable energy needs to be produced and used in a circular manner, including the way in which renewable energy equipment and infrastructure is designed, manufactured, built and managed, during and after its use.

But what are the main challenges and opportunities to scale up the use of renewables as part of a circular economy transition? In "One World, Zero Waste?", we hear insights from Rana Adib, Executive Director at the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) and Wolfgang Gründinger, Chief Evangelist of Enpal GmbH, a photovoltaics leasing firm that provides solar power systems.

UNECE’s Gianluca Sambucini also shares insights into the vital role of international cooperation to align energy with the circular economy, through initiatives including Renewable Energy “Hard Talks” organized by the UNECE Group of Experts on Renewable Energy for individual countries. He further highlights the importance of cooperation on sustainable resource management to foster circular economy approaches – including for so-called Critical Raw Materials, and the need to improve energy efficiency, such as for buildings, to reduce overall resource pressures.

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