Federal MP Tanya Plibersek has created a new Ministerial Advisory Group, set to guide Australia’s transition to a circular economy by 2030.
The new expert group will be chaired by Professor John Thwaites AM, with membership including Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley and outgoing chief executive of CSIRO, Dr Larry Marshall.
The group will look at how products are designed, manufactured and used across all sectors of the economy. It is expected to identify meaningful and direct changes the government and industry can make to drive the transition.
The decision to establish the new Ministerial Advisory Group follows the Environment Ministers Meeting in October. All Australian environment ministers agreed to work with the private sector. The goal is to design out waste and pollution, keep materials in use and foster markets to achieve a circular economy by 2030.
Plibersek, who is Minister for the Environment and Water, said better waste management and effective recycling are important. However, they are not enough on their own.
“As a country, we must do more to design out waste in the first place. We can make better use of recovered resources,” Plibersek said. “We know that Australians want to reduce their waste and use less disposable items in the first place. However, we have to set up our economy to help them do this.
“More than seventy per cent of a product’s environmental impact is locked in at the design stage before a customer ever looks at it. This means we need to get things right at the start, well before we deal with its disposal.”
How the circular economy can impact everyone
Plibersek said a circular economy will create jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and the reduction of landfill waste.
Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic added that reaching Australia’s net-zero goals requires an “urgent systems-wide change” to how we live and work.
“A circular economy will ensure we are on track to make these changes and support the energy transformation,” Husic said. “It’s a great opportunity to create manufacturing systems that are optimised. They will be less resource intensive, produce less waste, and have less impact on the environment.
“The Government will help this come to fruition through our Future Made in Australia policy and the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. In this way, we can rebuild Australia’s industrial base and take advantage of the opportunities from a net zero economy.
“I look forward to working with the Minister for the Environment on advancing our circular economy goals.”
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