The Circular Economy Offers A More Systemic And Sustainable View Of Business.

The Circular Economy is a future imperative to combat increasing rates of consumption and severely constrained global resources. In a world soon to be of 9 billion consumers actively buying manufactured goods, it is abundantly evident that economies and business who act in a mode of extraction only are not sustainable and will ultimately fail. When you consider that the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sector accounts for more than 90% of our agricultural output, and the population of the global middle class could double in size to nearly 5 billion by 2030, the constrains on resources and environmental impacts will be potentially catastrophic unless we can find ways to rethink manufacturing and consumption.

The Circular Economy is being described as one answer, suggesting that we shift from a mode of consumption that is linear, to one of a modern system that is circular and regenerative. “The Circular Economy offers a profound transformational opportunity, which represents the interests of both the global community as well as the next generation. Transitioning towards a regenerative model will stimulate economic activity in the areas of product innovation, remanufacturing and refurbishment, and in turn generate employment. In today’s increasingly complex, interdependent, and interconnected era, technology will play a critical roles in helping us understand and manage our vital resources in order to build a genuinely sustainable economy.” —Cisco Chris Dedicoat, President, EMEA