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The document examines the intersection of the circular economy and international trade, highlighting how shifting from primary to secondary raw materials can significantly reduce carbon emissions. It discusses the growth of secondary material markets, the rise of circular business models like sharing economies and product longevity, and the need for trade policies to eliminate barriers to circular goods and services. The authors advocate for international standards, the use of bilateral and regional free trade agreements, and a more proactive role for the WTO in facilitating a low-carbon circular economy.

The document discusses the path toward a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution, following the adoption of UN Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14 in March 2022. It highlights the shift in perception of plastic pollution from a purely marine issue to a terrestrial one and emphasizes the need for the treaty to address the entire plastic lifecycle, including the limitation of virgin plastic production and the creation of a sustainable circular economy. The author argues that the treaty must resolve regulatory gaps in the international waste trade, where developed nations often export plastic waste to poorer countries under the guise of recycling. To avoid past failures seen in chemical and electronic waste treaties, the document advocates for the integration of the World Trade Organization's Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastic Trade into the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee's process.

The document argues that while global financial assets are sufficient to fund sustainable development, a significant funding gap and digital divide persist. It traces the history of international environmental cooperation from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Key challenges identified include the failure of developed nations to meet the $100 billion annual climate finance goal, fragmented funding architectures, and barriers to technology transfer such as intellectual property rights. The text emphasizes that digital technologies (AI, blockchain, cloud computing) offer immense potential for zero-carbon energy and circular economies, provided that access is equitable and risks like data privacy and job loss are managed.

The document outlines the ongoing negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution, highlighting key areas of agreement and contention. While states agree on the priority of plastic waste management, significant disagreement exists regarding global production reduction targets due to potential economic impacts. The guide emphasizes the importance of product durability and the targeting of harmful chemicals in single-use plastics to reduce environmental impact.

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 paper examines the transition of Africa's clothing and textile industry from a linear to a circular model. It identifies three primary opportunities: promoting sustainable inputs (such as regenerative cotton and alternative fibers), 'greening' the garment manufacturing process to gain a competitive advantage, and transforming the influx of second-hand clothing into a value-added recycling and upcycling industry. The author emphasizes that without a proactive policy approach and investment in technology and infrastructure, African nations risk missing economic opportunities and failing to comply with upcoming EU eco-design regulations.

The briefing outlines key environmental priorities for the WTO's MC12, focusing on fisheries subsidies, climate policy alignment with the Paris Agreement, and several member-led initiatives. It highlights the 'Structured Discussions on Trade and Environmental Sustainability' (TESSD), a ministerial declaration on plastic pollution, and a proposal for fossil fuel subsidy reform. The author emphasizes that success depends on integrating the needs of developing countries through enhanced 'Aid for Trade' and inclusive dialogue to avoid a two-speed global green economy.

The report examines the environmental impact of the ICT sector, specifically regarding energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and the global e-waste trade. It contrasts these negative effects with the potential for ICTs to drive economic growth and support a 'green economy' through improved resource efficiency, dematerialisation, and systemic social transformation. The text highlights the disproportionate burden of e-waste on developing nations and identifies critical policy challenges, such as rebound effects and unintended consequences of digital openness.

The report by Unge Kunstneres Samfund outlines three primary strategies for artist organizations to address the climate crisis: integrating climate action into professional political work, establishing and maintaining networks, and fostering 'climate utopias' through creative responses. It emphasizes the link between climate justice and artists' working conditions, suggesting that sustainability must encompass both material and social issues, including the adoption of circular material use in exhibition production. The framework utilizes a classification of approaches—dutiful, disruptive, or dangerous—adapted from Karen O’Brien and Julie’s Bicycle to guide organizational planning and prioritization.

The guide outlines NRK's ambition to integrate environmental considerations into all production decisions, drawing on international experience from organizations like Albert. It identifies transport, energy consumption, and material use as primary areas for reduction, offering specific tactics such as choosing local locations, using LED lighting, and implementing reuse plans for sets and props. The document emphasizes the need for a designated environmental lead for each production and suggests using carbon calculators to identify the most significant impacts.

The document outlines three strategic approaches for artist unions to address the climate crisis: integrating climate action into core union work, building and sustaining networks, and fostering a 'climate utopia' through radical imagination. It provides a framework for categorising actions as 'dutiful', 'disruptive', or 'dangerous' and includes a toolkit of workshop exercises and a mapping of existing and needed capacities for artist organisations.

The document outlines the impact of the built environment on global emissions and provides a framework for designers to reduce embodied carbon. It emphasizes that the most cost-effective interventions occur early in the design phase and suggests five key strategies: collaborative design, effective design (including adaptive reuse), efficient design, low-carbon material selection, and designing for longevity.

Buildings contribute at least 39% of annual global energy-related carbon emissions, with at least 25% of those coming from embodied carbon in materials and construction. The document outlines five policy strategies—procurement policy, climate action plans, building codes, low-carbon design, and design for longevity—to stimulate market demand for low-carbon solutions without increasing construction costs or government spending.

The document explains that buildings contribute at least 39% of annual global energy-related carbon emissions, with at least one-quarter of those stemming from embodied carbon associated with materials and construction. It argues that developers can reduce these emissions by prioritizing the reuse of existing buildings over new construction and by setting clear environmental goals for project teams. To balance financial returns with environmental certifications, the text recommends six strategies: building less (prioritizing redevelopment), building collaboratively (using LCAs and inventories), building for longevity (adaptability and deconstruction), following data (requesting EPDs), reducing waste, and considering carbon offsetting.

The report distinguishes between 'growth' (increase in size) and 'development' (increase in quality), arguing that rapid community expansion often leads to higher taxes and degraded public services. It identifies a 'growth subsidy' where existing taxpayers fund infrastructure for newcomers, creating a cycle of dependency on further expansion. The authors propose sustainable development alternatives, such as import replacement and energy efficiency, to build local wealth without increasing community size.

The report proposes 'natural capitalism' as a new economic model where businesses profit by radically increasing resource productivity, eliminating waste, shifting from selling products to providing services, and investing in the restoration of natural capital. It argues that the current industrial model is logically flawed because it liquidates the ecosystem services upon which all life depends. By applying whole-systems thinking, the authors claim companies can achieve significant cost savings and competitive advantages, citing examples from firms like Southwire, Dow, and Interface. The text suggests that while governments can support this transition through tax policy, corporations possess the necessary agility and resources to lead the effort to heal the planet.

The text proposes 'natural capitalism' as a successor to the current industrial system, which the authors claim liquidates natural capital and treats it as income. It outlines four core strategies—radical resource productivity, biomimicry, a service and flow economy, and investing in natural capital—to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The document emphasizes that the limiting factor for future prosperity is no longer industrial capacity but the availability of life-supporting ecosystem services.

The text explores the concept of 'human capitalism,' which applies the principles of natural capitalism—resource productivity and loop-closing—to social systems. It focuses extensively on Curitiba, Brazil, detailing how the city avoided traditional, single-solution urban planning in favor of an integrated design process. Key achievements include a high-capacity bus rapid transit system that functions like a subway at a fraction of the cost, 'design with nature' flood control using linear parks, and social programs like the 'Green Exchange' that trade recyclable waste for food. The document posits that treating citizens as resources rather than burdens creates a sustainable, dignified urban environment.

The text analyzes 'industrial metabolism,' contrasting the circularity of biological systems with the linear, wasteful nature of industrial production. It quantifies the massive scale of material waste in the United States, the social waste of unemployment and incarceration, and the financial waste embedded in the GDP. The author contends that GDP is a flawed metric because it counts environmental and social decay as economic growth, and calls for a new economic model that values natural and human capital to ensure long-term viability.

The text outlines six categories for increasing industrial energy and material productivity: design, new technologies, controls, corporate culture, new processes, and saving materials. It advocates for a shift from linear 'once-through' material flows to circular systems inspired by nature (biomimicry), suggesting that systematic application of these efficiencies could reduce total material flows by a factor of one hundred or more.