The European Green Deal is a roadmap towards a sustainable EU economy. The aim is to counter the existential threats posed by climate change and environmental degradation. The new EU growth strategy aims at the transition to a modern and resource-efficient while at the same time competitive economy in which no net greenhouse gas emissions are released by 2050 and economic growth is decoupled from resource use. A central building block is the Circular Economy Action Plan. Its overarching goal is to reduce/eliminate pollution, i.e. emission streams of all kinds that have a negative impact on the environment.
The focus of the Green Deal is, among others, on waste prevention, production technologies with minimal environmental impact, tracking & tracing, waste logistics, reuse models, novel recycling technologies and service models.
Sector focus is on electronics, information and communication technology, batteries, vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and buildings, furniture, intermediate products (steel, cement, chemicals), food, water and nutrients.
Circular Valley
Circular Valley is the greater Rhine-Ruhr area from Bonn to Münster in Germany. Its guiding principle is “Grow the Economy – Protect the Environment” to create a future that minimises or completely reduces harmful environmental impacts. More than 50 companies and institutions already have joined forces. The project is supported by several ministries and NRW Economics Minister Prof Dr Pinkwart as patron. The initiator of Circular Valley, Dr Carsten Gerhardt, is a sustainability expert with many years of experience in the successful implementation of large-scale projects at the interface of business, politics and society.
The sought-after start-ups can benefit from the special conditions of Circular Valley – the proximity to over 300 world market leaders, leading companies in the recycling industry and the densest university and research network on circular economy topics worldwide. In addition, they come to a historically significant region where the first and second Industrial Revolution began on the European continent. Circular Valley is a cosmopolitan region, where over 150 nations live together peacefully, making it even for attractive for start-ups from all over the world.