PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
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Circular economy and raw materials

Environmental impacts of extraction and processing of raw materials for the energy transition (2024)

Both the European Critical Raw Materials Act and the Dutch Raw Materials Strategy promote mitigation of negative environmental impacts associated with the production of strategic and critical raw materials. The goal of this report is to enhance our understanding of these impacts and provide a knowledge base for the continued refinement of these strategies.

Addressing international impacts of the Dutch circular economy transition (2022)

The Netherlands has the  ambition to achieve a fully circular economy by 2050. This policy brief discusses the risks and opportunities of the Dutch circular economy transition for low- and middle-income countries that are connected to the Dutch economy through international supply chains. The conclusions are relevant not only for Dutch circular economy policy, but also for development cooperation in which achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is central.

Potential effects of Dutch circular economy strategies on low- and middle-income countries: the case of electrical and electronic equipment (2021)

In this report, we analyse what the transition to a fully circular economy could mean for low- and middle-income countries that are connected to the Netherlands through international value chains, focusing on transboundary trade in discarded electrical and electronic equipment. We identify conditions for positive impact and discuss opportunities, risks and dilemmas. This study is part of a broader project that analyses transboundary effects of the circular economy transition in the Netherlands. 

Potential effects of Dutch circular economy strategies on low- and middle-income countries: Cotton production and post-consumer textiles (2021)

At the request of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we explore what the transition to a fully circular economy could mean for low- and middle-income countries that are connected to the Netherlands through international value chains. In this report, we focus on textiles. More specifically, we examine cotton production in West Africa and post-consumer textiles processing in Pakistan.