Climate protection potential of the circular economy in Baden-Württemberg
How do waste management and recycling, and in particular material recycling, contribute to achieving the climate targets of the state of Baden-Württemberg? The research project ‘Climate protection potential of the circular economy in Baden-Württemberg’ provides the first systematic and comparative assessment of this issue.
The study, which was conducted as part of the BWplus research project ‘Climate protection potential of the circular economy in Baden-Württemberg’ (KlimKreisBW), has been published by the State Agency for the Environment Baden-Württemberg (LUBW). It systematically classifies the climate protection potential of waste management and recycling within the sectoral targets of the state of Baden-Württemberg. The background to this is that, in accordance with the international reporting requirements of the Kyoto Protocol, the waste sector exclusively covers non-energy emissions. Potential climate protection contributions through material and energy recovery from waste are particularly evident in the industrial and energy sectors. Using the life cycle assessment method for waste management, ifeu has now developed an approach to represent these effects mathematically.
The results underscore the importance of material recycling for climate protection. At the same time, they show that in order to achieve climate neutrality in the energy sector, fossil CO₂ emissions from waste incineration would have to be avoided or offset in the future.
The study is aimed in particular at decision-makers in politics and administration at the state level. It provides a sound basis for the further development of waste management and recycling strategies and targets in Baden-Württemberg. It is clear that ambitious approaches are needed to make an effective contribution to climate protection. It also highlights the influence of ongoing defossilisation on the assessment of waste management measures, which must be taken into account when interpreting future balances.
The methodological development and its first-time application at the state level can also serve as a template for other states to quantify the climate protection potential of the circular economy and to identify and implement targeted measures to leverage this potential as effectively as possible.
Further information can be found on the project page.