THE FOUNDER OF THE BRAZILIAN CIRCULAR ECONOMY HUB, BEATRIZ LUZ, SPEAKS AT THE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS SUMMIT ABOUT THE INITIATIVE THAT HELPS TO IMPLEMENT LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS IN THE COUNTRY AND SIGNS AN INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION ALONGSIDE OTHER SPECIALISTS.
Created to boost the implementation of circular business models between different-sized and multisector enterprises, the Brazilian Circular Economy Hub (Hub-EC) is the first of its kind in Latin America, based on European models and adapted to the country’s reality.
The initiative, led by the organization Exchange 4 Change Brasil (E4CB), will be introduced by its founder and director, Beatriz Luz, during the panel ‘The Global Imperative for a Circular Economy’, taking place this Tuesday (29) at the Global Solutions Summit 2022, in Berlin. The hub has sixteen member-companies and other partners, including global companies such as Gerdau, Electrolux, Nespresso, Tomra and Carrefour.
Beatriz Luz and Nicolas Buchoud (President of the Grand Paris Alliance for Metropolitan Development).
The Brazilian Circular Economy Hub was launched in 2020 and, since then, it has been stimulating discussions to influence the circular mindset, comprehend key members’ demands, identify common areas of interest, promote new partnership models, and facilitate negotiations in order to redesign industrial processes and value chains. There are four work groups: New Plastic Film Supply Chains; Reverse Logistics for White Goods; Application of Recycled Resin; and Circular Design.
Member-companies are working together to implement pilot projects and validate the circular business advantage. Nine companies have already signed NDAs (non disclosure agreements) to exchange confidential information and the first project will be announced soon. At the Global Solutions Summit, Beatriz Luz will talk about how the private sector must engage to lead a paradigm shift and make the transition possible, especially in continents such as Latin America, where the circular economy is still not a priority in the political framework.
“In Europe, the circular economy is already a number one priority, with dedicated public policies, a number of public-private partnerships already in place, and financial incentives towards circular business models. The linear risks are more visible to companies in Europe, which makes it easier for them to collaborate in the region. However, as the name of the event and panel suggest, the transition must be a global one. The sense of urgency is starting to spread in Latin America as well, and initiatives such as the Brazilian Circular Economy Hub will guide the way, pointing at the risks of keeping the ‘business as usual’. We need to learn how to adapt international solutions to the reality and demands of a single country, and places such as Germany, the Netherlands and Slovenia have been an inspiration to me throughout this journey”, Luz explains.
As a member of the Circular Economy Solutions Dialogues (CESD) Sounding Board, the Brazilian entrepreneur was one of the international specialists to sign the Call To Action that emphasizes the need for G20 countries to duplicate circular economy applicability from 10% to 20%, which can help reduce global emissions by 40%.
Recently, the Brazilian Circular Economy Hub was listed in the Circular Economy Road Map as a crucial initiative for the effective implementation of the circular economy in Brazil.
The document was developed by the UN’s Climate Technology Centre & Network alongside governmental entities in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico. The members of the Brazilian Circular Economy Hub are Gerdau; Electrolux; Nespresso; Covestro; Tomra; Plastiweber; RCRambiental; Wise; Sinctronics/Fit/Flex (a group of companies); Equipa Group; Cempre; Rhein Advogados; the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI); the Brazilian Mint; SENAI CETIQT (National Service for Industrial Training); and the Brazilian Institute for Technological Research (IPT). Besides that, the ecosystem counts on partners to make the projects possible, as it is the case of Carrefour.
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Credit: Brazilian Circular Economy Hub