The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has set out five universal circular economy policy goals that provide a framework for national governments, cities and businesses to created a transition that fosters innovation and decouples growth from finite resource consumption and environmental degradation.

As governments and industries around the globe move towards a circular economy, it’s key to align ambitions and create a common direction of travel.

The five goals provide a blueprint for co-operation – we need to work together across the private and public sectors to make them effective.

The goals recognise that the relevant policies are interconnected – this will help avoid the creation of a patchwork of fragmented solutions. If we can align nationally and internationally, we can reduce friction across borders and lower costs. Close co-operation also minimises the risk of individual policy measures remaining isolated in a wider, unchanged economic system that’s based on a linear ‘take-make-waste’ approach.