Italian government releases strategic paper on the circular economy

The Italian government has published a strategic paper on the development of a circular economy in Italy, with a supporting manifesto signed by leading businesses.

‘Towards a circular economy model for Italy’ – was recently presented in Rome at an event organised by banking group Intesa SanPaolo and energy company Enel. The two organisations have also signed a Manifesto for the Circular Economy, along with a group of businesses from different industries including materials company Novamont, consumer goods group Fater and the food marketplace Eataly. The aim of the manifesto is to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing, in order to support the development of a circular economy outlined in the paper from the government.
The new paper has been published by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economic Development, and seeks to provide an overview of the circular economy and the clarify the strategic positioning of Italy on the topic. It also links the circular economy with other commitments that are on the agenda of not just the Italian government, but policymakers and industries around the world, such as the Paris Agreement, UN Sustainable Development agenda, and European Union.
Now is the time to shifting from the perspective of ‘need’ to ‘opportunity’ in the circular economy, leveraging Italy’s technological capabilities and the momentum in Europe, according to the report. This means redesigning products and business models, looking for new connections through industrial symbiosis, creating a regenerative bioeconomy, moving towards a model of product responsibility, and offering new financing models to support this ‘circular innovation’.