Hacia una Economía Circular con Bajas Emisiones de Carbono: El nuevo papel del comercio

The document examines the intersection of circular economy practices and international trade as a means to achieve net-zero emissions. It highlights the carbon-reduction potential of shifting from primary to secondary materials, the growth of circular business models like the sharing economy and product longevity, and the need for trade policies to remove barriers to green goods and services. The authors advocate for the use of bilateral and regional trade agreements to establish standards for circularity, noting that current international frameworks like the WTO and the Basel Convention are insufficient.

• Circular economy solutions are critical for decarbonization because the carbon footprint from extracting and processing material resources, including agriculture and fossil fuels, accounts for 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Recycling raw materials is significantly more energy-efficient than processing primary resources, with some materials requiring up to 90% less energy.
• The global trade of waste is a substantial market valued at USD 315 billion annually, with 550 tons of various waste materials—such as metals, plastics, and electronics—being traded.
• Extending the lifespan of electronic devices can significantly reduce carbon emissions; for instance, 85% to 95% of a smartphone's total carbon footprint in its first two years comes from the mining of its internal metals.
• Current international trade mechanisms are often restrictive or inadequate, exemplified by China's 2017 and 2018 bans on most waste imports and an estimated 7% annual increase in raw material export restrictions according to the OECD.
• Bilateral and regional free trade agreements are identified as the most effective tools for advancing circular economy actions, citing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU as an example that includes life cycle assessment.

APA

Moss, K., Pantsar, M., & Vaughan, S. (2021). Hacia una Economía Circular con Bajas Emisiones de Carbono: El nuevo papel del comercio. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/es/node/16153

Chicago

Moss, Kevin, Mari Pantsar, and Scott Vaughan. Hacia una Economía Circular con Bajas Emisiones de Carbono: El nuevo papel del comercio. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/es/node/16153.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moss |first1=Kevin |last2=Pantsar |first2=Mari |last3=Vaughan |first3=Scott |title=Hacia una Economía Circular con Bajas Emisiones de Carbono: El nuevo papel del comercio |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/es/node/16153 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moss2021hacia, author = {Moss, Kevin and Pantsar, Mari and Vaughan, Scott}, title = {{Hacia una Economía Circular con Bajas Emisiones de Carbono: El nuevo papel del comercio}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/es/node/16153}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }