Founded | 2018 |
---|---|
Type | A partnership with an independent Board of Directors, hosted by the World Resources Institute (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) and previously incubated by the World Economic Forum |
Focus | Circular economy, electronics (e-waste), plastics, food and bio-economy, business models and markets, public-private partnerships |
Location | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Method | A public-private collaboration platform and project accelerator |
Key people | Frans van Houten (co-chair of PACE; CEO, Philips), Naoko Ishii (co-chair of PACE; CEO, Global Environment Facility), DameContentsEllen MacArthur (board member; Founder, Ellen MacArthur Foundation) |
Website | acceleratecirculareconomy |
In 2018, the World Economic Forum, World Resources Institute, Philips, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme, and over 40 other partners launched the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE; also referred to as the PACE Action Hub). [1] PACE advocates for a circular economy: "one that exchanges the typical cycle of make-use-dispose of in favour of redesign, reuse and recycling. According to the International Resource Panel, globally, nearly 90 billion tonnes of materials were consumed last year. This is predicted to double by 2050. Only 9% is cycled back into the economy, wasting an estimated $4.5 trillion in “recoverable” resources." [2]
The World Economic Forum (WEF), based in Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in 1971 as a not-for-profit organization. It was granted "other international body" status in January 2015 by the Swiss Federal Government under the Swiss Host-State Act. The WEF's mission is cited as "committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas".
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research non-profit organization that was established in 1982 with funding from the MacArthur Foundation under the leadership of James Gustave Speth.
Koninklijke Philips N.V. is a Dutch multinational technology company headquartered in Amsterdam, one of the largest electronics companies in the world, currently focused in the area of healthcare and lighting. It was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik, with their first products being light bulbs. It was once one of the largest electronic conglomerates in the world and currently employs around 74,000 people across 100 countries. The company gained its royal honorary title in 1998 and dropped the "Electronics" in its name in 2013.
PACE's original intent has three focal areas: (1) developing models of blended finance for circular economy projects, especially in developing and emerging economies; (2) creating policy frameworks to address specific barriers to advancing the circular economy; and (3) promoting Public–private partnership for these purposes. [3] [4]
Blended finance is defined "as the strategic use of development finance and philanthropic funds to mobilize private capital flows to emerging and frontier markets", resulting in positive results for both investors and communities. Blended finance offers the possibility to scale up commercial financing for developing countries and to channel such financing toward investments with development impact. As such, blended finance is designed to support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations. Meeting the SDGs will require an additional $2.5 trillion in private and public financing per year as of 2017 estimates, and an additional $13.5 trillion to implement the COP21 Paris climate accord. The concept of blended finance can contribute to raising the private financing needed. It was first recognized as a solution to the funding gap in the outcome document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2015.
A public–private partnership is a cooperative arrangement between two or more public and private sectors, typically of a long-term nature. Governments have used such a mix of public and private endeavors throughout history. However, the late 20th century and early 21st century have seen a clear trend towards governments across the globe making greater use of various PPP arrangements.
PACE projects focus on various themes in the circular economy: electronics, plastics, food and bio-economy, and business models and markets. [5]
Initiatives currently managed under PACE include:
In January 2019, PACE released a report entitled "A New Circular Vision for Electronics: Time for a Global Reboot" (in support of the United Nations E-waste Coalition). [14] [15]
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that was tasked to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international co-operation and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. The headquarters of the UN is in Manhattan, New York City, and is subject to extraterritoriality. Further main offices are situated in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna and The Hague. The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states. Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development and upholding international law. The UN is the largest, most familiar, most internationally represented and most powerful intergovernmental organization in the world. In 24 October 1945, at the end of World War II, the organization was established with the aim of preventing future wars. At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; there are now 193. The UN is the successor of the ineffective League of Nations.
As of March 2019, PACE members include global corporations, governments, and non-profit organizations: [16] [17]
Companies | Governments | Other Organizations |
---|---|---|
ABN AMRO Accenture Alphabet Apple Arup Averda Cisco DSM GEM Grupo Balbo HP Inc. IKEA ING Intesa Sanpaolo Lenzing AG MiniWiz Philips Suez Sunray Ventures Terracycle The Coca-Cola Company Triciclos Unilever Veolia Yara International | Canada China Denmark European Commission Finland Germany Indonesia Japan Netherlands Nigeria Rwanda Slovenia South Africa United Arab Emirates | China Association on Circular Economy Circle Economy Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Environment Facility International Resource Panel International Institute for Sustainable Development Ocean Conservancy UN Environment World Business Council for Sustainable Development World Economic Forum World Resources Institute World Wildlife Fund |
Computer recycling, electronic recycling or e-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw materials of waste electronics. Although the procedures of re-use, donation and repair are not strictly recycling, they are other common sustainable ways to dispose of IT waste.
World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, and is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. WED has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, WED has a new theme that major corporations, NGOs, communities, governments and celebrities worldwide adopt to advocate environmental causes.
The International Disability Alliance (IDA), created in 1999, is an umbrella organization focused on improving awareness and rights for individuals with disabilities around the globe. The IDA works with Non Governmental Organizations (NGO's), supranational organizations such as the United Nations (UN), as well as state governments in order to create legislation, fund disability programs in developing and industrialized countries, and advocate for people with disabilities around the world. The IDA works very closely with the United Nations, and in particular they use the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as their code of conduct.
Electronic waste or e-waste in the United States refers to electronic products that have reached the end of their operable lives, and the United States is beginning to address its waste problems with regulations at a state and federal level. Used electronics are the quickest-growing source of waste and can have serious health impacts. The United States is the world leader in producing the most e-waste, followed closely by China; both countries domestically recycle and export e-waste. Only recently has the United States begun to make an effort to start regulating where e-waste goes and how it is disposed of.
Stephen K. Ibaraki is a past teacher, an industry analyst, writer and consultant in the IT industry, and the past president of the Canadian Information Processing Society.
François Adrianus "Frans" van Houten is the Chief Executive Officer of the Dutch company Royal Philips Electronics, taking over the position on 1 April 2011. He succeeded Gerard Kleisterlee.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charity registered in the UK registered charity which aims to inspire a generation to re-think, re-design & build a positive future through the framework of a circular economy.
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimising waste and making the most of resources. This regenerative approach is in contrast to the traditional linear economy, which has a 'take, make, dispose' model of production. In a circular system resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops; this can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling, all implemented via corporate and social entrepreneurship. Proponents of the circular economy suggest that a sustainable world does not mean a drop in the quality of life for consumers, and can be achieved without loss of revenue or extra costs for manufacturers. The argument is that circular business models can be as profitable as linear models, allowing us to keep enjoying similar products and services.
Renat Heuberger is the CEO and co-founder of South Pole, a global company specialising in sustainability solutions. He has been engaged as a social entrepreneur in the fields of sustainability, climate change and renewable energies since 1999.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030. The SDGs are part of Resolution 70/1 of the United Nations General Assembly, the 2030 Agenda.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialised and developing countries. It was founded in 2009 and its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010. The agency is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The Director-General of IRENA is Francesco La Camera, a national of Italy. IRENA is an official United Nations observer.
VinylPlus was founded by the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM), the European Stabiliser Producers Association (ESPA), European Plasticisers and the European Plastics Converters (EuPC) in 2011 when the PVC industry renewed a previous initiative called Vinyl 2010. VinylPlus is a ten-year, industry-wide voluntary commitment to develop more ecologically responsible ways to produce, use and recycle PVC. The programme aligns with the principles and targets of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the circular economy.
The Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace was established on 16 November 2015 in Geneva at the initiative of 15 co-convening UN Member States, i.e. Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Estonia, France, Ghana, Hungary, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Oman, Senegal, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. Following the establishment of the Global High Level Panel on Water and Peace and in response to the high interest generated, a Group of Friends on Water and Peace was created in early 2016. It provides a group of countries with an opportunity to interact with the work of the Panel and offers them a platform for regular dialogue on these issues. The Geneva Water Hub acts as the Secretariat of both the Global High-Level Panel and the Group of Friends on Water and Peace.
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is a knowledge-led multi-stakeholder forum dedicated to promoting the landscape approach.
Sustainable Development Goal 6, one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN in 2015. It calls for clean water and sanitation for all people. The official wording is: "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." The goal has eight targets to be achieved by at least 2030. Progress toward the targets will be measured by using eleven "indicators."
The Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation (GCECA) was founded by the Government of the Netherlands with United Nations Environment, NIES Japan and the Philippines. GCECA, hosted in Gronigen and Rotterdam, was launched at UN Climate Summit COP 23 on 14 November 2017. During COP 23, the Centre organised a side event, "What is Excellence in Climate Adaptation?" and supported the launch of the UN Environment Adaptation Gap Report 2017: Towards Global Assessment
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 was conceived as a means of highlighting the need among nations to drastically increase efforts to restore degraded and destroyed ecosystems to combat climate change, and enhance biodiversity, food security, and water supply.