The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle

The document examines the role of the circular economy in the economic recovery of the EU and AU following the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the EU's Green Deal and its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, while noting that African countries often practice circular economy principles without formal policies. The brief suggests that the EU's desire to shorten global value chains for food and medical security presents an opportunity for Africa to enhance its regional value chains in mining and agriculture through partnerships. It recommends that the EU-AU Summit prioritize a circular economy baseline for all future programmes to ensure sustainable development and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

• The European Union's Green Deal commits the region to becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, with the circular economy approach to production at its center.
• While most African countries lack official circular economy policies, there is significant potential for economic growth; for example, green economy investments could increase Kenya's national real GDP by approximately 12% by 2030 and create up to 30,000 jobs in Senegal's solar and wind sectors by 2035.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the EU's over-reliance on global supply chains, particularly for medical and food supplies, leading the EU to seek shorter production chains through a 'green recovery deal' with a total budget of EUR 1.074 trillion, of which EUR 550 billion is earmarked for green projects.
• Low-Income Developing Countries (LIDCs) in Africa have faced severe external shocks due to the pandemic, including contractions in real exports, lower oil prices, and reduced tourism receipts, leaving them unable to implement the fiscal stimulus packages available to Europe.
• Africa can rebuild its importance in global value chains by focusing on the 'fourth industrial revolution' in mining—ensuring beneficiation remains on the continent—and by adopting circular economy principles in agriculture to increase production without environmental degradation.
• The proposed 'Comprehensive Strategy Towards Africa' includes five key partnerships: green transition and energy access, digital transformation, sustainable growth and jobs, peace and governance, and migration and mobility.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle. 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle |date=27 September 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020circular, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }