On 17 April 2024, Circular Innovation Lab together with the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) hosted a World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2024 Accelerator Session on "Partnerships for Circularity - Tackling the Critical Raw Material Value Chain" in Brussels, Belgium, and online. The event explored the role of Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Projects between the Global North and the resource-rich Global South to ensure a reliable external supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) as part of the EU's 2023 Critical Raw Materials Act (ECRMA).
Eline Blot, Senior Policy Analyst at IEEP, and Arpit Bhutani, COO of Circular Innovation Lab, presented the ECRMA's significant role in shaping international relationships and securing the supply of strategic raw materials for the EU. They underscored the Act's call for diversifying the EU's sources of critical raw materials, shifting the focus from Free Trade Agreements to Strategic Partnerships as potential solutions to secure the resources necessary for the EU's transition to a cleaner and more technologically advanced economy.
The following panel discussion, moderated by Apoorva Arya, CEO of Circular Innovation Lab, explored how Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Projects could prioritise both circular CRM projects and business practices to establish mutual benefits for the EU and the Global South, specifically with economic and environmental value addition. The panellists shared perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within the CRM value chain for the EU and its strategic partners.
Discover more about the insights and key takeaways of the session in the Outcome Report:
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