In her presentation, Eléonore Maitre-Ekern recounts the origins of the linear economy and the early efforts to address its environmental impacts. The initial emphasis of policy and legislative action on waste management has strongly shaped the current scope and direction of the European Union’s circular economy initiatives. Today, this traditionally reactive approach is being challenged, with increasing attention placed on proactively shaping the future of the economy and society, rather than merely mitigating harm and managing risks. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (2024) exemplifies this shift, notably by supporting consumer choice editing and prohibiting certain industrial practices.
Yet, a sustainable circular economy, one that supports economic, environmental and social value creation and contributes to a safer and more just world, needs a fundamental rethinking not just of how products are conceived, produced and used, but also of governance itself; the instruments, priorities, and purposes it ultimately serves.
Programme
- Welcome by Helge Jordheim and Eivind Engebretsen
- Shaping a Sustainable Circular Economy: Lessons from the Past and Visions for the Future by Eléonore Maitre-Ekern, Researcher at The Research Institute for Water and the Environment (NIVA)
- Comments by Beate Sjåfjell (Sustainability Law, UiO) and Sarah Cornell (University of Gävle and affiliated with Centre for Global Sustainability)
- Questions and discussion
- Light refreshments and interaction
Participate
This event is open to all interested scholars at the University of Oslo and beyond.
You can also follow the seminar part via the live stream below. The streaming will begin at the start of the event.