Vers une économie circulaire faible en carbone : le rôle émergent du commerce

This briefing discusses the intersection of circular economy solutions and international trade policy as a means to achieve decarbonization. It argues that transitioning from primary raw materials to secondary materials, extending product lifespans, and reforming trade barriers are essential for meeting net-zero goals, as the extraction and processing of material resources account for half of global greenhouse gas emissions.

• The extraction and processing of material resources, including agriculture and fossil fuels, are responsible for 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making circular economy solutions indispensable for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• The global waste trade market is valued at 315 billion USD annually, with 550 tonnes of various wastes—including plastics, metals, and electronics—traded each year. Utilizing secondary raw materials is significantly more climate-friendly than primary extraction, requiring up to 90% less energy depending on the material.
• Trade in metal waste and scrap has seen significant growth, increasing from 22 billion USD in 2002 to 82 billion USD in 2017. While this pressures primary extraction, it creates new employment in design for reuse, repair, material reprocessing, and maintenance.
• Governments are implementing policies to prioritize secondary materials: the Netherlands has capped raw material shares at 50%, China's 14th Five-Year Plan discourages building demolition in favor of renovation, and the European Union's 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan aims for new regulations on recycled content for both domestic products and imports.
• Extending the lifespan of electronics can significantly reduce carbon footprints; for example, 85% to 95% of a smartphone's total carbon footprint in its first two years comes from metal mining. Current efforts to extend the average smartphone lifespan beyond 29 months include a July 2021 executive order by Joe Biden and a European Parliament standard for universal chargers.
• Current international trade measures regarding the circular economy are often restrictive, such as China's 2017/2018 ban on most waste imports and a 7% annual increase in export restrictions on raw materials noted by the OECD.
• To facilitate a fully circular economy, trade policy should eliminate tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and subsidies that restrict circular goods and services. Bilateral and regional free trade agreements, such as the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the CPTPP, are identified as the most effective tools for expanding these measures.

APA

Moss, K., Pantsar, M., & Vaughan, S. (n.d.). Vers une économie circulaire faible en carbone : le rôle émergent du commerce. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/fr/node/16153

Chicago

Moss, Kevin, Mari Pantsar, and Scott Vaughan. Vers une économie circulaire faible en carbone : le rôle émergent du commerce. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/fr/node/16153.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moss |first1=Kevin |last2=Pantsar |first2=Mari |last3=Vaughan |first3=Scott |title=Vers une économie circulaire faible en carbone : le rôle émergent du commerce |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/fr/node/16153 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mossndvers, author = {Moss, Kevin and Pantsar, Mari and Vaughan, Scott}, title = {{Vers une économie circulaire faible en carbone : le rôle émergent du commerce}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/fr/node/16153}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }