IFLA Europe Position Paper: Circular Economy
Read the full position paper here.
Over the past decades, the European Union has put in place a broad range of environmental legislation to give more long-term direction towards a healthy environment stemming from an innovative, circular economy where nothing is wasted and where natural resources are managed sustainably. Among European Commission’s goals is A new Circular Economy Action Plan - For a cleaner and more competitive Europe which states that “scaling up the circular economy from front-runners to the mainstream economic players will make a decisive contribution to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and decoupling economic growth from resource use, while ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the EU and leaving no one behind”(European Commission Communication COM(2020)98)
Consequently, the European Region of International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA EUROPE), – embraces the above goals in the new circular economy model and aims to present the contribution of Landscape Architects to Climate Change adaptation and mitigation in relation to circular economy. The particular position paper is the first from one series to follow, to present the value of landscape architecture profession, and to promote Landscape Architects’ position in relation to Climate Change and Circular Economy.
This Position paper has four (4) aims:
1. to clarify and analyse the crucial role of Landscape Architects in implementing holistic circularity concepts and the technical, analytical and scientific skill sets to serve and implement the Circular Economy model in landscape projects.
2. to present the importance of adopting the principles of Circular Economy in design and management of our landscapes.
3. to reveal our ideas about how we as Landscape Architects could influence policy mechanisms for implementing Circular Economy at European and global level and
4. to promote our positions in relation to the role of Landscape Architects in circular economy model.
In the 21st century, Landscape Architects are one of the most competent and eligible:
to improve health and well-being,
to understand and consider natural processes and as result to support Green Deal initiatives,
to apply the principles of social, economic and environmental sustainability to landscape projects, seeking to avoid climate change and to manage microclimates,
to enhance the value of the environment and implement resource management policies appropriately, utilising natural resources,
to account for social context of landscapes including visual, environmental, access/use and heritage.
It is the right time to show our value and make the difference.
Read the full position paper here.