The challenges the world is facing, such as climate change and population growth are at times overwhelming. They also urge us to work together and find innovative solutions for our future. A transition to a circular economy is one of them: creating economic growth and prosperity and at the same time restoring our ecosystem. The circular economy concept decouples growth and prosperity from the use of natural resources and ecosystems. It’s dependent on how well stakeholders work together. Collaboration and sharing successes and failures are key for the successful implementation of circular business models.
The Netherlands, with its dense population and water management challenges, has historically been built on a foundation of collaboration and innovation. As such, the country has prided itself on smart resource management. Nowadays, the Netherlands is a global water management hub, the second highest dairy food exporter in the world and is among the world’s leaders in waste management.
The most important lesson Dutch companies and organisations have learned is that a circular economy is first and foremost an economy where working together is the key to success. Businesses, national governments, municipalities, universities and NGOs all need to find ways to cooperate more intensely than they have ever done before.
The Netherlands Circular Hotspot campaign, which coincides with the Dutch EU presidency, is built on a shared dream by various stakeholders who are working together to put the Netherlands globally on the map as a circular hotspot.
The highlights are the opening of a Circular Expo, close to Schiphol airport, where 30 iconic circular examples are showcased. Another highlight is an incoming trade mission on the circular economy. On 13-15 April, the Netherlands welcomed more than 140 participants from 18 countries from all over the world. And last but not least many examples of circular cases and interviews with parties spearheading a transition to a circular economy are showcased in the magazine, Netherlands Circular Hotspot (pdf). This magazine was handed directly to prime minister Mark Rutte.
There’s no denying that the Netherlands has become a breeding ground for circular innovation and like many others around the world our ambition is to accelerate the global transition. Let the Netherlands be a living lab, the first of many such hotspots.
More about the campaign
The campaign includes the realisation of a broad vision on the Netherlands’ circular future, a Circular Expo, exhibiting internationally scalable projects, and an incoming trade mission. The vision will be shaped based on input from Dutch and international thought, sector and industry leaders and representatives of younger generations. The visionary document will be presented to European government officials at the Expo during the Dutch EU presidency in 2016.
Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme and social enterprise, Circle Economy are the pioneers of this campaign. The initiators are the Social Economic Council (SER), Delta Development Group, Circle Economy and INSID. Netherlands Circular Hotspot is supported by more than 30 ambassador businesses, organisations and cooperates with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
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Content on this page is paid for and provided by Philips, sponsor of the circular economy hub
