Linking Economic Transformation to Circular Economy Goals

The author contends that Africa can leverage the transition to a circular garment industry to drive economic growth and industrial upgrading. Key opportunities include producing sustainable cotton and alternative fibres, greening manufacturing processes to gain a competitive advantage, and repurposing the high volume of second-hand clothing imports into new products and recycled yarns. The author emphasizes that without a proactive industrial policy or circular economy roadmap, African nations risk missing these opportunities and failing to meet Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12, particularly as the European Union introduces stricter eco-design regulations.

• The garment industry has a significant environmental impact, acting as the second-largest water consumer and contributing up to 10% of global carbon emissions, which exceeds the combined emissions of all maritime shipping and international flights.
• Africa can achieve vertical integration in its garment sector by investing in sustainable cotton production and developing alternatives such as hemp, pineapple, bamboo, and coconut fibres, reducing the current trend where 90% of its raw cotton is exported to Asia for processing.
• Greening the manufacturing process—through renewable energy, regenerative organic cotton, and innovative recycling—can provide African countries with a competitive advantage over Asian suppliers who have not yet fully adopted circular production.
• Africa's position as the world's largest market for used clothes, importing over 30% of such garments, presents an opportunity to create jobs and new industries by repurposing waste into products like purses and backpacks or recycling them into yarns.
• The European Union's planned Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will mandate digital product passports and strict performance requirements, making the transition to circular production essential for African garment exporters to maintain EU market access.

APA

van der Ven, C. (2023). Linking Economic Transformation to Circular Economy Goals. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/economic-transformation-circular-economy-goals

Chicago

van der Ven, Colette. Linking Economic Transformation to Circular Economy Goals. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/economic-transformation-circular-economy-goals.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van der Ven |first1=Colette |title=Linking Economic Transformation to Circular Economy Goals |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=17 July 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/economic-transformation-circular-economy-goals |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanderven2023linking, author = {van der Ven, Colette}, title = {{Linking Economic Transformation to Circular Economy Goals}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/economic-transformation-circular-economy-goals}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }