The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation Webinar

Current Status and Challenges of the Circular Economy - Toward a Growth-oriented, Resource-autonomous Economy

Tuesday, 10 December 16:30-18:00 Tokyo (8:30-10:00 Brussels)
(With English-Japanese Simultaneous Interpretation / Free event)

Efforts toward a circular economy (CE) are progressing in both Japan and the EU.
CE is an economic system that aims to enhance industrial competitiveness and economic growth while ensuring efficient and cyclical use of resources at all stages of the supply chain and value chain, based on the premise of reuse from the product design stage.

In Japan, the Circular Economy Vision was formulated in 1999, followed by a series of initiatives based on various recycling laws and regulations, including the enactment of the Basic Law for a Recycling-Oriented Society in 2001.
In the EU, the first Circular Economy Action Plan was established in 2015, and a new CE Action Plan was adopted in March 2020 as part of the European Green Deal. Since 2022, four policy packages have been released, promoting recycling in various industrial sectors and reinforcing efforts for sustainable product design.

In response to these developments in the EU, Japan also revised its Circular Economy Vision in 2020 and formulated the Strategy of Resource-Autonomous Circular Economy for Growth in March 2023, making progress toward a circular economy.

In this webinar, the authorities of both Japan and the EU will introduce the latest developments and challenges in CE policies and initiatives. They will share their experiences, taking into account the efforts of private sector stakeholders in both regions, and explore ways to foster collaboration.

Please register for the event via the ZOOM registration link below.

Agenda

16:30 -16:32 (8:30 -8:32)  Opening remarks
-    Manuel Hubert, Managing Director European Side, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

16:32-17:22 (8:32 -9:22)  Presentations
-    Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director, Circular Economy, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
-    Shogo Tanaka, Director, Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Division, GX Policy Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
-    Noriyuki Mita, Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation 
-    Kristiina Veitola, Director Corporate Affairs, Circular Economy and Packaging Policy, Tetra Pak

17:22-17:47 (9:22-9:47)   Q&A and Discussions
-    Moderator: Yasuo Tanabe, Managing Director Japan Side, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

Registration: This webinar will be held on ZOOM. Please register from this ZOOM link to join.

Q&A: Registrants can enter questions in the Questions & Comments section of the registration screen.  Due to time constraint, it may be difficult to answer all questions.  Thank you for your understanding.