Preface

In the past two decades, many countries and the European Union have been orienting their waste and materials management policies towards preventive and integrated approaches, with emphasis on the life-cycle and supply chains of materials and products. Policy initiatives aimed at establishing a circular economy (CE) have increased as an essential contribution to a sustainable, low carbon, resource efficient and competitive economy. These developments brought about strong demands for reliable information on a circular economy and raised questions as to the adequacy of the statistics and indicators currently available for effectively supporting national policies and international work. To address these questions, UNECE and OECD joined forces to provide common guidelines for measuring progress.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Responsible Consumption and Production