Lier la transformation économique aux objectifs de l’économie circulaire

The author examines how the African clothing sector can transition from a linear to a circular model to align with Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12. It identifies three primary opportunities: promoting sustainable inputs like regenerative cotton and plant-based alternatives, greening the manufacturing process to gain a competitive advantage, and transforming the influx of second-hand clothing into a value-added recycling industry. The text emphasizes that without a proactive policy roadmap, African nations risk missing economic upgrades and failing to meet upcoming EU ecodesign regulations.

• The current global textile system is linear and environmentally damaging, with the fashion industry accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions and being the second most water-intensive sector.
• African countries face a critical need to adopt circular production to maintain access to the European Union market, as the EU plans to implement the Sustainable Products Ecodesign Regulation, which will require digital product passports and strict performance standards.
• There is significant potential for Africa to move beyond exporting raw cotton—which currently accounts for nearly 6% of global production—by investing in regenerative agriculture and developing sustainable fiber substitutes from hemp, pineapple, bamboo, coconut, and banana.
• Greening the manufacturing process offers African nations a competitive edge over Asian suppliers who have not yet fully adopted circular production. Examples include Ghana's use of wastewater treatment and Ethiopia's Hawassa Industrial Park, the first zero-emission textile park in Africa.
• Africa's position as the largest global market for used clothing, receiving over 30% of imports, can be transformed from an environmental burden into an economic opportunity through the development of sorting centers and textile-to-fiber recycling facilities.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can facilitate the circular transition by reducing tariffs on recycled yarns and second-hand clothing, and by stimulating intra-African investment in green production hubs.

APA

van der Ven, C. (n.d.). Lier la transformation économique aux objectifs de l’économie circulaire. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/lier-la-transformation-economique-aux-objectifs-de-leconomie-circulaire

Chicago

van der Ven, Colette. Lier la transformation économique aux objectifs de l’économie circulaire. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/lier-la-transformation-economique-aux-objectifs-de-leconomie-circulaire.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van der Ven |first1=Colette |title=Lier la transformation économique aux objectifs de l’économie circulaire |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/lier-la-transformation-economique-aux-objectifs-de-leconomie-circulaire |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vandervenndlier, author = {van der Ven, Colette}, title = {{Lier la transformation économique aux objectifs de l’économie circulaire}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/lier-la-transformation-economique-aux-objectifs-de-leconomie-circulaire}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }