20 September 2018: A group of companies and think tanks has formed the Circular Economy Leadership Coalition (CELC) to eliminate waste, accelerate carbon emission reductions and build a sustainable, prosperous Canada. Members announced the coalition at the Group of 7 (G7) Ministerial Meeting in Halifax, Canada, which brought together environment, oceans and energy ministers.

CELC aims to support a shift from unsustainable resource extraction towards a circular economy in which resource productivity is increased, items are designed to use less material, last longer, be reused or be repaired, pollutants and toxins are eliminated from the system and any generated waste becomes an input back into the system. The Coalition will foster collaboration among all levels of government, industries, experts and communities in the development and implementation of circular economy solutions that protect and regenerate the natural environment while also enhancing prosperity, including through developing a Circular Economy Roadmap. For instance, the Coalition will promote enhanced understanding of the barriers and benefits associated with eliminating waste and transitioning to a circular economy.

CELC can kickstart the critical mass of support needed across businesses, government and civil society.

Coalition members include: Unilever Canada; IKEA Canada; Loblaw Companies Limited; Walmart Canada; NEI Investments LP; International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD); National Zero Waste Council; Smart Prosperity Institute; The Natural Step Canada; and Institut EDDEC – Environment, Sustainable Development and the Circular Economy.

UNILEVER Canada Vice-President and General Counsel and CELC Co-chair John Coyne stressed the need to radically transform current modes of production, distribution and disposal to enable a smarter, more productive cycle of productivity with both economic and environmental benefits. He said the CELC can “kickstart the critical mass of support needed across businesses, government and civil society to allow this economic transformation to occur.”

At the G7 ministerial meeting, CELC signed the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which will adopt a circular economy approach to minimize plastic in the environment, among other actions. [CELC Website] [CELC Press Release]