Business and nature to reap rewards from circular urban spaces

Transforming how European towns and cities are built is key to unlocking massive economic, environmental and social benefits by 2035, according to a new report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Key findings from the report include:

• A circular transformation of Europe’s towns and cities could address 90% of housing needs while avoiding urban sprawl half the size of Belgium.
• Business and society can reap €733 billion in yearly benefits by 2035.
• Households and local businesses could gain €22 billion annually, including through lower energy and water charges. 
• A circular approach could save 250 million tonnes of construction materials annually.
• Greener cities will cut emissions equal to taking 12 million cars off the road and keep cities cooler during heat waves.

Europe’s nature is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate, with the region’s climate heating faster than any other continent, while economic losses from heat waves, droughts and floods are predicted to escalate.

The built environment significantly contributes to this. The construction sector accounts for the largest share of Europe’s material footprint, generating more than 35% of its total waste and over a third of greenhouse gas emissions.

Jocelyn Blériot, Executive Lead for Policy & Institutions at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, says: “Europe’s built environment is central to its economy but it is currently too resource-intensive and disconnected from nature. It doesn’t have to be this way. The circular economy, in contrast, gives us the tools to maximise the expansion of green space, to make the most of existing buildings and to make better design as well as material choices. Our research has identified six strategies, rooted in circular economy principles, which can unlock this potential, delivering widespread benefits to business, society and the environment.”

In its report, the Foundation, an international charity that develops and promotes the circular economy, spotlights Europe’s cities as pivotal economic powerhouses with the potential to contribute to a prosperous and resilient European economy. 

??The strategies highlighted in the report include revitalising brownfield sites and abandoned buildings, maximising nature in cities, and optimising building design and material sourcing to reduce the need for new materials. 

It concludes that now is the time to build on recent progress made by policy and business and collaborate to use emerging technologies to scale the circular economy.

Jerome Frost, Chair of Arup Group, who is among a group of experts that provided input into the Building Prosperity report, says: "In our built environment, every building, every street, every neighbourhood offers us a chance to embrace innovative circular design. But we will only unlock this positive change at scale by bringing together designers, policymakers, businesses and investors. What is abundantly clear is that nature must become a priority issue as we transition towards a regenerative built environment that balances growth with human and societal wellbeing for long-term prosperity.”

For further information, please visit https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/building-prosperity