The New York Circular City Initiative brings together representatives from the mayor’s office, city agencies, multinational corporations, foundations and academic institutions to reimagine New York’s economic systems by proposing sustainable solutions that transcend industry sectors and the public/private divide in the long term while supporting COVID-19 recovery efforts in the short term.
The vision of the New York Circular City Initiative is to help create a city where no waste is sent to landfill, environmental pollution is minimized, and thousands of good jobs are created through the intelligent use of products and raw materials.
The New York Circular City Initiative brings together representatives from the mayor’s office, city agencies, multinational corporations, foundations and academic institutions to reimagine New York’s economic systems by proposing sustainable solutions that transcend industry sectors and the public/private divide in the long-term while supporting COVID-19 recovery efforts in the short term.
The vision of the New York Circular City Initiative is to help create a city where no waste is sent to landfill, environmental pollution is minimized, and thousands of good jobs are created through the intelligent use of products and raw materials.
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Shifting from a linear to a circular economic model requires obsolescence to be designed out of goods and the traditional producer/consumer relationship to be replaced by one of service provision and use. While this is a significant undertaking, the size of the prize is enormous. Today, cities consume 78 percent of the world’s energy and produce 60 percent of its emissions. Two-thirds of people globally are expected to live in urban areas by 2050 (up from just 14 percent in 1990), meaning that unless we act now their impact will only intensify.
Achieving circularity in one of the great cities of the world has the potential to be transformational. The case for action is strong: research from across the globe shows that a circular New York economy could deliver economic benefits, jobs and a significant reduction in waste to landfill. Together, the initiative partners have identified the measures that will have the greatest positive impact on job creation, economic growth and the environment.