Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

An artistss rendering of a mining operation on the Moon. Image courtesy of OilPrice.com

In the first of our week-long #SWMEThemes on the Middle East and Space Resources, Dr. Tom James of Navitas Resources LLP argues that with its heritage in extracting oil and gas from harshenvironments and recent investments in space programmes, many Middle Eastern countries are well-placed to take advantage of the nascent space resources economy.

The new space resources economy will provide huge benefits for mankind, from pushing technologies forward as we find ways to live sustainably beyond our planet, to improved earth observations to help protect and preserve and improve life back on Earth, to creating new jobs, companies, and opportunities. The Middle East is pouring petrodollars in to the new space economy as it drives its economies to a service and knowledge-based economy and builds its stake in the future of the human race.

As we have witnessed over the past ten years especially, the space industry has becoming more commercialised, with greater investment by the private sector, such as Elon Musks SpaceX and Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic. Both firms have investors from the Middle East, and Virgin Galactic hopes to utilise a spaceport in Abu Dhabi. These new space entrepreneurs are focussed on costs, and this has helped bring downward pressure on launch prices and cost-saving advances in satellite technology have combined to open the door for small and midsize space companies to enter the market, providing new niche services and solutions. These companies, many of whom are basing themselves in the Gulf thanks to pro-active local government support, are well-positioned to serve the increasing demand for bandwidth and services across regions that expect to see large population growth, such as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Since Astronaut Gene Cernan was the last man to walk on the moon 45 years ago, we have made little to no progress on new rocket technology or costs or performance of space vehicles, with governments sticking to what worked in the 1960s and 1970s. Now with private firms driving the space race with much larger resources than most governments, we stand on the brink of returning to space this time, to stay. With the annual space economy already sized at U.S.$330 billion a year, its an interesting business to get in to and its attracting increased interest from investors and entrepreneurs.

To really drive the new space economy forward however, we must first reduce the cost of getting stuff in to space from the Earths surface. In space there are many asteroids and mining opportunities for resources to build new larger space ships and space stations and lower costs, but the initial machinery and people to make that happen will have to come from the Earths surface.

Therefore, the most immediate valuable resource that people will pay a premium for in space will initially be water. Made up of hydrogen and oxygen, there is a lot of things you can do with it!

Therefore water has been dubbed the new oil in space and Middle East investors understand the opportunities, as their investment in new emerging commercial space companies and technologies is growing as the region works to shift from an oil-based to a knowledge-based economy and secure a part in the future of supplying energy in space.

Water as Fuel

I expect companies to launch satellites searching for rare gases and metals in asteroids within five years, with actual mining happening within eight.A single asteroid might contain 175 times more platinum than the Earth mines in a year, but its not metal that is the most important commodity in the short term. Its water.

In the long term, most of the commodities mined in space will stay in space to power a low-orbit space economy built around satellites and space stations. In that scenario, water accumulated in space would become the most immediately valuable commodity as it could be used for rocket fuel for interstellar voyages, and to supply oxygen to keep astronauts and space colonies alive. To date all the water for space missions and all the rocket fuel has to be taken to space from the Earths surface and that costs a lot of money as it increases the payload of rockets that must escape the Earths gravity.

A major issue in making access to space cheaper is that every space mission must carry its own fuel for in-space operations, since in-space refuelling does not currently exist. Even if it did, that fuel would have to be lifted and stored on orbit in fuel depots at even higher prices. Currently it costs around U.S.$8,000/kg to $12,000/kg net cost to launch most payloads into low-Earth orbit (LEO). New breakthroughs in technology must be realized to significantly reduce this high cost. We are starting to see some of those technologies now succeed, for example the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which is truly re-usable and lands itself after a successful deployment of cargo to space. This type of technology, combined with the large reduction in payload in fuel and supplies, is necessary to refuel in space with water and oxygen already extracted there will massively reduce payloads and cost still further. The corresponding cost and price benefit could give customers around a 30 percent discount over expendable rocket versions.

To avoid this high-cost barrier to real progress, a means to provide cheaper propellants in space has to be developed. One such firm, Shackleton Energy, is working on the answer by proposing to mine ice water on the Moon. Water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen, and in turn can create fuel, drinking water, and oxygen to sustain long term colonies in space.

Middle East in Space

The UAE and Saudi Arabia already have space programmes, with the Saudis signing a pact with Russia in 2015 for cooperation on space exploration and the development of a new space station. With the annual space economy having grown to already U.S.$330 billion dollars it is an interesting time for Middle East countries, that must plan many decades ahead in the development of their economies in to digital- and knowledge-based economies, to get in to the space business. Interestingly the majority of the recent growth in the space economy, in absolute terms and as a percentage, took place on the commercial side of the space economy. Commercial products, services, infrastructure, and support industries add up to slightly more than 75% of the space economy, with government spending (24% of total) constituting the remainder. Thats right government spending is now the minority!

Besides investing petrodollars in to a new economy of the future for their society here on Earth, building a space industry in many countries of the Middle East makes a lot of sense from a geographical standpoint. The closer a country is to the equator, the more surface velocity there is from spinning around the Earths axis, meaning space ships need to burn less fuel to exit the atmosphere. In addition from a communication standpoint it is better to have an orbit around the equator and if you launch away from the equator you must burn a lot of extra fuel to correct the trajectory of your rockets after launch. All of this benefits a number of Middle Eastern countries as potential launch sites.

Dr. Tom James has been involved in energy and commodity markets since 1989 and is an international business architect, risk manager, and trading director, having developed his skills and expertise over the years whilst at top tier financial and trading institutions

around the world. He has been consulting to industry since 2004 when he was head-hunted to be a lead designer and risk management advisor for BHP Billitons commodity trading unit. More recently, he has been a Senior Energy Advisor to the United States Department of Defense.During his career, Tom has written and published seven books on commodity markets and trading. Tomis a frequent speaker at energy and commodity conferences in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and runs training courses throughout the world. He is also a regular commentator on market trends for international news channels including Bloomberg Hong Kong, CNBC, CNBC Asia, and BBC World Service.

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#SWMEThemes: The Middle East and the New Space Resource Economy - SpaceWatch Middle East (press release) (subscription) (blog)

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said in Abuja on Thursday that the Federal Government would take critical steps to advance leather production in the country.

Onu spoke at the matriculation of trainees and inauguration of Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), North Central Leather cluster extension centre as well as leather training infrastructure.

The minister said such serious steps to promote leather production would quicken Nigerias industrialisation process.

By doing this, we will also strengthen our capacity to convert our rich agricultural products into viable economic goods and services that we need for both domestic consumption as well strengthen export earnings.

This will help in job and wealth creation, help restore national self-reliance and self-confidence, enhance prosperity and boost our economy, he said.

The minister said that the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology was determined to use Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to lay a solid foundation for Nigerias economic diversification.

According to him, the days event is an affirmation of the resolution.

The minister said the Federal Governments new national development order on STI would help move the country from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.

He said the process of creating additional leather research and development centres in other geo-political zones had reached advance stage.

It is expected that this will help strengthen greater grassroots participation in leather technology, thereby helping to stimulate more indigenous capacity for the ultimate benefit of our people.

Finally, I urge the trainees of this institute to take the vocation seriously.

Nigeria will look up to you on the completion of your training to help in her efforts to use leather technology to create wealth and job, reduce poverty and enhance prosperity for our people.

Earlier, NILEST Acting Director-General, Dr Eucharia Oparah, said NILEST was the only tertiary institution in Nigeria engaged in the training of middle-level manpower for the leather technology sub-sector of the economy.

We have been training artisans, technicians and technologists at different levels since the inception of the institute.

Also, we have been collaborating with the tanneries, leather manufacturers, government and private organisations within and outside the country, she said.

According to her leather has become the major earner of foreign exchange after oil.

She added that for a sustainable growth NILEST should be given the needed support to carry out its mandate of training and research in the field of leather and leather products.

She said the institute ought be empowered and converted to a degree awarding institution as the highest qualification currently awarded by the institute was Higher National Diploma. (NAN)

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FG will intensify effort in promoting leather technology Onu - Daily ... - Daily Post Nigeria

Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said in Abuja on Thursday that the Federal Government would take critical steps to advance leather technology in the country.

Onu spoke at the matriculation of trainees and inauguration of Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), North Central Leather cluster extension centre as well as leather training infrastructure.

The minister said such serious steps to promote leather production would quicken Nigerias industrialisation process.

By doing this, we will also strengthen our capacity to convert our rich agricultural products into viable economic goods and services that we need for both domestic consumption as well strengthen export earnings.

This will help in job and wealth creation, help restore national self-reliance and self-confidence, enhance prosperity and boost our economy, he said.

The minister said that the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology was determined to use Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to lay a solid foundation for Nigerias economic diversification.

According to him, the days event is an affirmation of the resolution.

The minister said the Federal Governments new national development order on STI would help move the country from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.

He said the process of creating additional leather research and development centres in other geo-political zones had reached advance stage.

It is expected that this will help strengthen greater grassroots participation in leather technology, thereby helping to stimulate more indigenous capacity for the ultimate benefit of our people.

Finally, I urge the trainees of this institute to take the vocation seriously.

Nigeria will look up to you on the completion of your training to help in her efforts to use leather technology to create wealth and job, reduce poverty and enhance prosperity for our people.

READ:Customs educates public on damaged vehicles importation

Earlier, NILEST Acting Director-General, Dr Eucharia Oparah, said NILEST was the only tertiary institution in Nigeria engaged in the training of middle-level manpower for the leather technology sub-sector of the economy.

We have been training artisans, technicians and technologists at different levels since the inception of the institute.

Also, we have been collaborating with the tanneries, leather manufacturers, government and private organisations within and outside the country, she said.

According to her leather has become the major earner of foreign exchange after oil.

She added that for a sustainable growth NILEST should be given the needed support to carry out its mandate of training and research in the field of leather and leather products.

She said the institute ought be empowered and converted to a degree awarding institution as the highest qualification currently awarded by the institute was Higher National Diploma.

Original post:

FG to increase effort in promoting leather technology Minister - P.M. News

A circular economy is a regenerative system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimised by slowing, closing, and narrowing material and energy loops. This can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling.[1] This is contrast to a linear economy which is a 'take, make, dispose' model of production.[2]

The term encompasses more than the production and consumption of goods and services, including a shift from fossil fuels to the use of renewable energy, and the role of diversity as a characteristic of resilient and productive systems. It includes discussion of the role of money and finance as part of the wider debate, and some of its pioneers have called for a revamp of economic performance measurement tools.[3]

"The concept of a circular economy (CE) has been first raised by two British environmental economists David W. Pearce and R. Kerry Turner in 1989. In Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment,[4] they pointed out that a traditional open-ended economy was developed with no built-in tendency to recycle, which was reflected by treating the environment as a waste reservoir".[5] The circular economy is grounded in the study of feedback-rich (non-linear) systems, particularly living systems.[6] A major outcome of this is the notion of optimising systems rather than components, or the notion of design for fit. As a generic notion it draws from a number of more specific approaches including cradle to cradle, biomimicry, industrial ecology, and the 'blue economy.

Linear "take, make, dispose" industrial processes and the lifestyles that feed on them deplete finite reserves to create products that end up in landfills or in incinerators.

This realisation triggered the thought process of a few scientists and thinkers, including Walter R. Stahel, an architect, economist, and a founding father of industrial sustainability. Credited with having coined the expression "Cradle to Cradle" (in contrast with "Cradle to Grave", illustrating our "Resource to Waste" way of functioning), in the late 1970s, Stahel worked on developing a "closed loop" approach to production processes, co-founding the Product-Life Institute in Geneva more than 25 years ago. In the UK, Steve D. Parker researched waste as a resource in the UK agricultural sector in 1982, developing novel closed loop production systems mimicking, and integrated with, the symbiotic biological ecosystems they exploited.

In their 1976 Hannah Reekman research report to the European Commission, "The Potential for Substituting Manpower for Energy", Walter Stahel and Genevieve Reday sketched the vision of an economy in loops (or circular economy) and its impact on job creation, economic competitiveness, resource savings, and waste prevention. The report was published in 1982 as the book Jobs for Tomorrow: The Potential for Substituting Manpower for Energy.[7]

Considered as one of the first pragmatic and credible sustainability think tanks, the main goals of Stahel's institute are product-life extension, long-life goods, reconditioning activities, and waste prevention. It also insists on the importance of selling services rather than products, an idea referred to as the "functional service economy" and sometimes put under the wider notion of "performance economy" which also advocates "more localisation of economic activity".[8]

In broader terms, the circular approach is a framework that takes insights from living systems. It considers that our systems should work like organisms, processing nutrients that can be fed back into the cyclewhether biological or technicalhence the "closed loop" or "regenerative" terms usually associated with it.

The generic Circular Economy label can be applied to, and claimed by, several different schools of thought, that all gravitate around the same basic principles which they have refined in different ways. The idea itself, which is centred on taking insights from living systems, is hardly a new one and hence cannot be traced back to one precise date or author, yet its practical applications to modern economic systems and industrial processes have gained momentum since the late 1970s, giving birth to four prominent movements, detailed below. The idea of circular material flows as a model for the economy was presented in 1966 by Kenneth E. Boulding in his paper, The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth.[9] Promoting a circular economy was identified as national policy in Chinas 11th five-year plan starting in 2006.[10] The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, an independent charity established in 2010, has more recently outlined the economic opportunity of a circular economy. As part of its educational mission, the Foundation has worked to bring together complementary schools of thought and create a coherent framework, thus giving the concept a wide exposure and appeal.[11]

Most frequently described as a framework for thinking, its supporters claim it is a coherent model that has value as part of a response to the end of the era of cheap oil and materials and can contribute to the transition to a low carbon economy. In line with this, a circular economy can contribute to meet the COP 21 Paris Agreement. The emissions reduction commitments made by 195 countries at the COP 21 Paris Agreement, are not sufficient to limit global warming to 1.5C. To reach the 1.5C ambition it is estimated that additional emissions reductions of 15 billion tonnes CO2 per year need to be achieved by 2030. Circle Economy and Ecofys estimated that circular economy strategies may deliver emissions reductions that could basically bridge the gap by half.[12]

The circular economy seems intuitively to be more sustainable than the current linear economic system. The reduction of resource inputs into and waste and emission leakage out of the system reduces resource depletion and environmental pollution. However, these simple assumptions are not sufficient to deal with the involved systemic complexity and disregards potential trade-offs. For example, the social dimension of sustainability seems to be only marginally addressed in many publications on the Circular Economy, and there are cases that require different or additional strategies, like purchasing new, more energy efficient equipment. By reviewing the literature, a team of researchers from Cambridge and TU Delft could show that there are at least eight different relationship types between sustainability and the circular economy:[1]

1.Conditional relation

2.Strong conditional relation

3.Necessary but not sufficient conditional relation

4.Beneficial relationship

5.Subset relation (structured and unstructured)

6.Degree relation

7.Cost-benefit/trade-off relation

8.Selective relation

With a surge in popularity, many circular principles are available, varying widely depending on the problems being addressed, the audience, or the lens through which the author views the world. There are at least the following key elements to be identified within a circular economy.

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way. Ultimately the system should aim to run on current sunshine and generate energy through renewable sources. An example of this principle is The Biosphere Rules framework for closed-loop production which identifies Power Autonomy as one of nature's principles for sustainable manufacturing. It requires that energy efficiency be first maximized so that renewable energy becomes economical. It also requires that materials need to be non-toxic to be able to recirculate without causing harm to the living environment.

The second element aims to utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling and is grounded on the idea that waste does not exist. It is necessary here to design out waste, meaning that both the biological and technical components (nutrients) of a product are designed intentionally in such a way that waste streams are minimalized.

Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use. Meaning that a product is designed to fit within a materials cycle, can easily be dissembled and can easily be used with a different purpose. Hereby one could consider strategies like emotionally durable design. It should be stressed that there is not something like one ideal blueprint for future design. Modularity, versatility and adaptiveness are to be prioritised in an uncertain and fast evolving world, meaning that diverse products, materials, and systems, with many connections and scales are more resilient in the face of external shocks, than monotone systems built simply for efficiency.

While resources are in-use, maintain, repair and upgrade them to maximise their lifetime and give them a second life through take back strategies when applicable. This could mean that a product is accompanied with a pre-thought maintenance programme to maximise its lifetime, including a buyback program and supporting logistics system. Second hand sales or refurbish programs also falls within this element.

Within a circular economy, one should work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector to increase transparency and create joint value. For the business sector this calls for collaboration within the supply chain and cross-sectoral, recognising the interdependence between the different market players. Governments can support this by creating the right incentives, for example via common standards within a regulatory framework and provide business support.

Track and optimise resource use and strengthen connections between supply chain actors through digital, online platforms and technologies that provide insights. It also encompasses virtualized value creation and delivering, for example via 3D printers, and communicating with customers virtually.

In a circular economy, prices act as messages, and therefore need to reflect full costs in order to be effective.[13] The full costs of negative externalities are revealed and taken into account, and perverse subsidies are removed. A lack of transparency on externalities acts as a barrier to the transition to a circular economy.

The circular economy is a framework that draws upon and encompasses principles from:[14]

The ability to understand how things influence one another within a whole. Elements are considered as fitting in their infrastructure, environment and social context. Whilst a machine is also a system, systems thinking usually refers to nonlinear systems: systems where through feedback and imprecise starting conditions the outcome is not necessarily proportional to the input and where evolution of the system is possible: the system can display emergent properties. Examples of these systems are all living systems and any open system such as meteorological systems or ocean currents, even the orbits of the planets have nonlinear characteristics.

Understanding a system is crucial when trying to decide and plan (corrections) in a system. Missing or misinterpreting the trends, flows, functions of, and human influences on, our socio-ecological systems can result in disastrous results. In order to prevent errors in planning or design an understanding of the system should be applied to the whole and to the details of the plan or design. The Natural Step created a set of systems conditions (or sustainability principles) that can be applied when designing for (parts of) a circular economy to ensure alignment with functions of the socio-ecological system.

The concept of the circular economy has previously been expressed as the circulation of money versus goods, services, access rights, valuable documents, etc., in macroeconomics. This situation has been illustrated in many diagrams for money and goods circulation associated with social systems. As a system, various agencies or entities are connected by paths through which the various goods etc., pass in exchange for money. However, this situation is different from the circular economy described above, where the flow is unilinear - in only one direction, that is, until the recycled goods again are spread over the world.

Janine Benyus, author of "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature", defines her approach as "a new discipline that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example. I think of it as "innovation inspired by nature.[15] Biomimicry relies on three key principles:

Industrial Ecology is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. Focusing on connections between operators within the "industrial ecosystem", this approach aims at creating closed loop processes in which waste is seen as input, thus eliminating the notion of undesirable by-product. Industrial ecology adopts a systemic - or holistic - point of view, designing production processes according to local ecological constraints whilst looking at their global impact from the outset, and attempting to shape them so they perform as close to living systems as possible. This framework is sometimes referred to as the "science of sustainability", given its interdisciplinary nature, and its principles can also be applied in the services sector. With an emphasis on natural capital restoration, Industrial Ecology also focuses on social wellbeing.[16]

Created by Walter R. Stahel, a Swiss architect, who graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zrich in 1971. He has been influential in developing the field of sustainability, by advocating 'service-life extension of goods - reuse, repair, remanufacture, upgrade technologically' philosophies as they apply to industrialised economies. He co-founded the Product Life Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, a consultancy devoted to developing sustainable strategies and policies, after receiving recognition for his prize winning paper 'The Product Life Factor' in 1982. His ideas and those of similar theorists led to what is now known as the circular economy in which industry adopts the reuse and service-life extension of goods as a strategy of waste prevention, regional job creation and resource efficiency in order to decouple wealth from resource consumption, that is to dematerialise the industrial economy.

Cooper (2005)[17] proposed a theoretical model to illustrate the significance of product life span in a progress towards sustainable consumption. The longer product life spans could contribute to eco-efficiency and sufficiency, thus, slowing the consumption in order to progress towards sustainable consumption.[17]

Initiated by former Ecover CEO and Belgian entrepreneur Gunter Pauli, derived from the study of natural biological production processes the official manifesto states, "using the resources available...the waste of one product becomes the input to create a new cash flow".[18] Based on 21 founding principles, the Blue Economy insists on solutions being determined by their local environment and physical / ecological characteristics, putting the emphasis on gravity as the primary source of energy - a point that differentiates this school of thought from the others within the Circular Economy.[19] The report - which doubles as the movements manifesto - describes "100 innovations which can create 100 million jobs within the next 10 years", and provides many example of winning South-South collaborative projects, another original feature of this approach intent on promoting its hands-on focus.

The Biosphere Rules is a framework for implementing closed loop production processes. They derived from nature systems and translated for industrial production systems. The five principles are Materials Parsimony, Value Cycling, Power Autonomy, Sustainable Product Platforms and Function Over Form.

In January 2012, a report was released entitled Towards the Circular Economy: Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition. The report, commissioned by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and developed by McKinsey & Company, was the first of its kind to consider the economic and business opportunity for the transition to a restorative, circular model. Using product case studies and economy-wide analysis, the report details the potential for significant benefits across the EU. It argues that a subset of the EU manufacturing sector could realise net materials cost savings worth up to $630 billion annually towards 2025stimulating economic activity in the areas of product development, remanufacturing and refurbishment. Towards the Circular Economy also identified the key building blocks in making the transition to a circular economy, namely in skills in circular design and production, new business models, skills in building cascades and reverse cycles, and cross-cycle/cross-sector collaboration.[20]

In January 2015 a Definitive Guide to The Circular Economy[21] was published by Coara with the specific aim to raise awareness amongst the general population of the environmental problems already being caused by our "throwaway culture". Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE,) in particular, is contributing to excessive use of landfill sites across the globe in which society is both discarding valuable metals but also dumping toxic compounds that are polluting the surrounding land and water supplies. Mobile devices and computer hard drives typically contain valuable metals such as silver and copper but also hazardous chemicals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. Consumers are unaware of the environmental significance of upgrading their mobile phones, for instance, on such a frequent basis but could do much to encourage manufacturers to start to move away from the wasteful, polluting linear economy towards are sustainable circular economy.

On 17 December 2012, the European Commission published a document entitled Manifesto for a Resource Efficient Europe. This manifesto clearly stated that "In a world with growing pressures on resources and the environment, the EU has no choice but to go for the transition to a resource-efficient and ultimately regenerative circular economy."[22] Furthermore, the document highlighted the importance of "a systemic change in the use and recovery of resources in the economy" in ensuring future jobs and competitiveness, and outlined potential pathways to a circular economy, in innovation and investment, regulation, tackling harmful subsidies, increasing opportunities for new business models, and setting clear targets.

The European environmental research and innovation policy aims at supporting the transition to a circular economy in Europe, defining and driving the implementation of a transformative agenda to green the economy and the society as a whole, to achieve a truly sustainable development. Research and innovation in Europe are financially supported by the programme Horizon 2020, which is also open to participation worldwide.[23]

The European Commission introduced a Circular Economy proposal in 2015. Historically, the policy debate in Brussels mainly focused on waste management which is the second half of the cycle, and very little is said about the first half: eco-design. To draw the attention of policymakers and other stakeholders to this loophole, the Ecothis. An EU campaign was launched raising awareness about the economic and environmental consequences of not including eco-design as part of the circular economy package.[24]

A circular economy calls upon opportunities to create greater value and align incentives through business models that build on the interaction between products and services. Linder and Williander describe a circular business model as a business model in which the conceptual logic for value creation is based on utilizing the economic value retained in products after use in the production of new offerings.[25]

Basically this means that a circular business model is not focused merely on selling a product, but encompasses a shift in thinking about value proposition, bringing forward a whole range of different business models to be used. To mention just a few examples: product-service systems, virtualized services, and collaborative consumption which encompasses the sharing economy. This comprises both the incentives and benefits offered to customers for bringing back used products and a change in revenue streams, comprising payments for a circular product or service, or payments for delivered availability, usage, or performance related to the product-based service offered.

These new ways of doing business require businesses to create an attractive business model for financiers, and financiers to change the way they perceive the risks and opportunities associated with these models. To help businesses position themselves in a circular context and develop future strategies for doing business in a circular economy, the Value Hill has been created. The Value Hill proposes a categorisation based on the lifecycle phases of a product: pre-, in- and post- use. This allows businesses to position themselves on the Value Hill and understand possible circular strategies they can implement as well as identify missing partners in their circular network. The Value Hill provides an overview of the circular partners and collaborations essential to the success of a circular value network.[26]

Mateusz Lewandowski provides a proposition to address this need to design circular business models and presents an extension of the framework from Osterwalder and Pigneur, namely the circular business model canvas (CBMC). The CBMC consists of eleven building blocks, encompassing not only traditional components with minor modifications, but also material loops and adaptation factors. Those building blocks allow the designing of a business model according to the principles of circular economy.[27]

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Circular economy - Wikipedia

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NDP contenders unite around climate http://www.kingstonregion.com/ Prior to the debate, Weir called on candidates to explain how they would help make carbon pricing work for Saskatchewan's resource-based economy. The next NDP leadership debates is slated for August in Victoria and Montreal as well as in Vancouver in ...

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NDP contenders unite around climate Niagarathisweek.com Prior to the debate, Weird called on candidates to explain how they would help make carbon pricing work for Saskatchewan's resource-based economy. The next NDP leadership debates is slated for August in Victoria and Montreal as well as in Vancouver in ...

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NDP contenders unite around climate - Niagarathisweek.com

As part of its commitment to invest in Nigeria, Unilever West Africas Vice President, Supply Chain, Siddharth Ramaswamy, has reiterated the companys commitment to the growth of the Nigerian economy through plans to increase its investment portfolio to enhance local manufacturing.

Ramaswamy spoke during a tour by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, to the manufacturing giant.

According to Ramaswamy, the company, which has been in Nigeria for almost 100 years, will continue to invest in the country, despite the economic challenges.

Nigeria is strategic to our business operations. This is why we remain committed to the countrys socio-economic development. We currently operate two manufacturing hubs in Nigeria, and we are already taking actions to increase our local manufacturing capacity.

There are ongoing investments, which will not only provide additional employment opportunities for Nigerians, but will deliver further economic value through the development of a sustainable supply chain structure consisting of local manufacturers, he said.

Dr.Onu commended Unilever for its long history in Nigeria, and reaffirmed the governments commitment to support Unilever.

According to him, the government is working hard to improve the nations economy from resource-based to knowledge-based and will partner organisations, such as Unilever, through synergy with research institutions under the ministry.

He said such visits create avenue to see how the government can assist organisations as Unilever to overcome challenges by providing the environment to grow its business through incentives and suitable legal framework.

We want companies to use more of local raw materials in production processes. Because when this happens, new jobs will be created, and our GDP will grow, thereby reducing poverty. This can only happen if we work with you and other responsible companies, he said.

Onu encouraged Unilever to show more interest in local research to improve its production process.

He urged Unilever to work closely with FIIRO and other research institutions under the ministry.

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Unilever set to raise investments in Nigeria - The Nation Newspaper

OTTAWA NDP leadership contenders vying for the same job found some common ground Tuesday night in their vociferous opposition to Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister on carbon pricing.

Their fourth leadership debate, held in Saskatoon, marks the beginning of the last half of the race for a party hoping to rebuild and grow following the painful results of the 2015 election including in western Canada.

Candidates Manitoba MP Niki Ashton, Quebec MP Guy Caron, Ontario MP Charlie Angus and Ontario legislator Jagmeet Singh all took aim at Wall for his strident opposition of Ottawa's plan to put a price on carbon emissions.

The premier has vowed to go to court if the province is forced to adopt it.

Angus said Tuesday the Saskatchewan premier fails to acknowledge the 20th century is over, noting that as NDP leader he would personally favour adopting a legislated carbon budget to reduce emissions.

"The guy, no offence, but he is like the man violently defending the future of the typewriter when everyone else has moved to cell phones," Angus said, adding he will work with any government on the Prairies willing to diversify its economy.

"We have an enormous renewable potential in Saskatchewan and Alberta."

For her part, Ashton came out swinging against the conservative in the province next door Pallister.

"Coming from Manitoba, I can say my premier, Brian Pallister, doesn't speak for me and I'm venturing to guess a lot of people here in this room don't feel that Brad Wall speaks for them," she said.

Pricing carbon is necessary to fight climate change but a one-size-fits-all approach won't work when it comes to implementing a carbon plan, Singh said.

"We need to also know that every province is different so we have to approach that," he said.

Singh said a proposal outlined in his climate change plan includes working with each province to explore solutions. He has also vowed to reduce carbon emissions to 30 per cent of 2005 levels by 2025 five years ahead of the current Liberal target.

"My plan also proposes if we are going to bring in a carbon tax, it has to be twinned with rebates to low and middle income families so they are not disproportionately impacted which we know will happen otherwise," Singh said.

Pallister and Wall are wrong, Caron added, noting it says something when the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Mining Association of Canada are open to carbon pricing.

"This is the type of thinking that left us behind and lagging behind most of the European countries on this," Caron said.

Ashton and Caron have both forcefully opposed the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal to carry oil from Alberta to British Columbia, but have yet to unveil their full climate plans.

At the beginning of Tuesday's debate the only event of its kind in the Prairies during the course of the race the leadership candidates acknowledged the province is the birthplace of the NDP.

It currently holds three seats in the province including Regina New Democrat MP Erin Weir.

NDP Leadership Race 2017: Candidates

Prior to the debate, Weird called on candidates to explain how they would help make carbon pricing work for Saskatchewan's resource-based economy.

The next NDP leadership debates is slated for August in Victoria and Montreal as well as in Vancouver in September.

Online voting in the leadership race will begin on Sept. 18, with results to be announced in October after each round of balloting.

Also On HuffPost:

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NDP Leadership Contenders Square Off On Climate Change - Huffington Post Canada

Photo by Jim Young

NETARTS Walk along the salt marsh of Netarts Bay while learning about how plants survive in a salty world noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 16.

Join Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea for a free guided tour along the salt marsh at the southern end of Netarts Bay.

The class size is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required.

The tour includes an easy-to-moderate walk through muddy areas and trails covered by brush. It is best suited for participates 12 and older comfortable with walking in these environments. Participants should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes for this adventure, organizers advised.

The event is part of theExplore Natureseries of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures.Explore Nature events are hosted by a consortium of volunteer community and nonprofit organizations, and are meaningful nature-based experiences that highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy, according to a release.

Though there is no cost to attend the program, tax-exempt donations to Netarts Bay WEBS to enable programs like this are encouraged, organizers said.

A link is available on the Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS Facebook and Eventbrite pages. Transportation to natural areas is provided by WEBS.

At times, the tour areas will have a moderate number of mosquitos. WEBS requests that participants take appropriate precautions to ensure their comfort.

For questions,email jimyoung4990@gmail.com or call503-842-2153.

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Free tour of Netarts Bay salt marshes - Coast Weekend

By Princewill Ekwujuru

UNILEVER West Africas Vice President, Supply Chain, Siddharth Ramaswamy,said the company has concluded plans to increase its investment portfolio in the country, thereby enhancing local manufacturing. This reiterates the companys commitment to contribute to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Ramaswamysaid this during the courtesy visit and factory tour by the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, to the manufacturing firm.

According to him, the company which has been operating in Nigeria for almost 100 years, would continue to invest in the country, despite the prevailing economic challenges. Nigeria is strategic to our business operations. This is why we remain committed to the countrys socio-economic development. We currently operate two manufacturing hubs in Nigeria, and we are already taking actions to increase our local manufacturing capacity.

There are ongoing investments which will not only provide additional employment opportunities for Nigerians, but will deliver further economic value through the development of a sustainable supply chain structure consisting of local manufacturers, he said.

Responding, the minister commended Unilever for its long serving history in Nigeria, and re-affirmed the governments commitment to support Unilever in its operation.

According to him, the government is working hard to move the nations economy from a resource based to a knowledge based economy and the government is looking up to partner with organisations such as Unilever to achieve this, through synergy with several research institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology.He said visits such as this, is to create an avenue to see how the government can assist organizations such as Unilever to overcome challenges by providing enabling environment to grow its business either through incentives or enabling legal framework.

We want companies to use more of local raw materials in production processes. Because when this happens, new jobs will be created, and our Gross Domestic product, GDP, will grow- thereby, reducing poverty. This can only happen if we work with you and other responsible companies, he said.

Onu urged Unilever to show more interest in local research in order to improve its production process. He charged Unilever to work more closely with FIIRO and other research center sunder the Ministry of Science and Technology.

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Unilever to increase investment portfolio in Nigeria - Vanguard News - Vanguard