Defra announces Circular Economy Taskforce

The UK Government has announced the membership of its new Circular Economy Taskforce, a body of experts who will be creating a roadmap for England’s transition to a circular economy.

The team will play a key role in developing Britain’s first Circular Economy Strategy, with a focus on supporting economic growth, creating green jobs, and accelerating progress towards the government’s net-zero emissions targets.

Two phases of the taskforce have been outlined for the next year, with the publication of the Strategy and roadmaps expected between Summer and Autumn 2025.

The first phase, which will last until January 2025, will focus on identifying metrics with which the UK government can measure the UK’s progress towards a circular economy and propose targets for both the national and local level. Early recommendations that may require funding in the next Spending Review will also be established.

Phase Two, from January to October 2025, will look to complete the Circular Economy Strategy for England, setting out a policy pathway that outlines how to deliver on these targets and priority interventions to drive progress over the next 10 years.

Commenting on the appointments, Stuart Hayward-Higham, member of the taskforce and Chief Technical Development and Innovation Officer at SUEZ, said: “Bringing together multi-industry, cross-sectoral expertise to overcome not just the scientific and technical barriers to circularity but also the economic, behavioural and logistical ones means we can finally now plot that route and ensure our contribution complements Net Zero policies.”

Major goals will include driving economic growth through investment in resource circularity technologies, sectors, and infrastructure, the creation of new job opportunities across the circular economy, and the ensuring of security of the supply chain. The team intends on finding solutions that will increase resource efficiency and productivity, as well as reducing emissions and moving towards net zero.

It will also contribute to the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth in the UK, including supporting the delivery of the Industrial Strategy and a refreshed Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.

While the scope of the Strategy will be England only, the Devolved Governments will be invited to attend meetings and will, at minimum, be supplied with the final Taskforce workplan.

Heather Plumpton, Head of Research at Green Alliance, added: “This government needs to succeed where previous administrations have failed and finally deliver a transformative circular economy. It has every reason to be ambitious. Reducing and improving resource use will strengthen the economy, boost business resilience and benefit people by cutting costs and ending frustrations around waste.”

Taskforce members

The Circular Economy Taskforce is drawn from expertise in different sectors. Its members are:

• Andrew Morlet (Chair): Former CEO at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Professor Paul Ekins (Deputy Chair): Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy at University College London
• Dr Jack Barrie: Circular Economy Senior Research Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House) UK
• Natasha Boulding: Founder and CEO of Low Carbon Materials
• Colin Church: Chief Executive at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)
• Catherine Conway: Director & Reuse Lead at GoUnpackaged
• Professor Andrew Dove: Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry at Birmingham University and Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at 4D Biomaterials Ltd
• Dr Debbie Fletcher: Director - Climate at Local Partnerships LLP
• Shak Gohir: Strategic Programmes Officer at CPI
• Dr David Greenfield: Founder and Managing Director at Social, Environmental & Economic Solutions (SOENECS); Co-founder and Managing Director at Tech-Takeback Ltd; Vice President at the Circular Economy Institute; Vice President at the Chartered Institution of Waste Management; Visiting Professor of Circular Economy at the University of Brighton; and Founding Partner and Urban Miner at etsaW Ltd
• Stuart Hayward-Higham: Chief Technical Development and Innovation Officer at SUEZ
• Professor Peter Hopkinson: Professor of Circular Economy and Co-Director at the Exeter Centre for Circular Economy (ECCE), and Academic Director for Partnership at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Wayne Hubbard: CEO at ReLondon
• Keith James: Head of Policy and Insights at WRAP, and UKRI
• Hans Jensen and Chris Newsome (shared seat): Directors at UKWP
• Dr Greg Lavery: Founder and CEO at Rype Office
• Libby Peake: Head of Resource Policy at Green Alliance
• Professor Phil Purnell: Deputy Head of School (Civil Engineering) at Leeds University
• Professor Charlotte Williams: Statutory Chair in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford and Founder and Chief Scientific Office at Econic Technologies