Transform The circle of life The traditional approach to the consumption of resources is clearly misaligned with the values of sustainability. In all sectors, including transport, it is now time to turn towards the circular economyThere is no doubt that within the fields of aviation, transportation and urban transformation, we live in the most exciting times. At no point in history – and even the face of a global pandemic – have we been able to deliver so much, for so many, and at such a pace. Demand for new and advanced aviation buildings, infrastructure, services, products, technology and ‘territory’ – for both land and airside activities – remains unyielding, and is correlated directly with the expanding and diversifying expectations, needs and capabilities of our society. In this, ‘everything, at all once’ plays an increasingly prevalent (and equally worrying) part in modern life, as we command access to (among others): mobile data and intelligent systems; convenient, safe and speedy global travel; well-connected and digitally enabled places to work, rest and play; healthy food and resources to sustain our family and friends. Yet at this time we are also faced with the unparalleled imperative to protect and nurture our global environment, the full breadth and depth of the communities we serve, and the economic systems from which we profit.In this, we also need to foster a future that is flexible and smart enough to respond to foreseeable changes, as well as those changes that have not even yet been conceived. The growing scrutiny on the aviation industry only intensifies these effects, of course. So it is in balancing our modern expectations against this imperative that creates the basis for our cognitive dissonance: the very present realisation that whilst we live in extraordinarily fortunate times, we know there is ‘a better way’. Bringing this dissonance into even sharper focus is the ever-growing demand for the aviation industry to set clear and unbiased objectives and targets for truly sustainable outcomes. Through well respected frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme (ACA), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), PAS2080 Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure, and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification programme – as well as emerging legislative instruments such as the EU Taxonomy – our understanding of (and agreement on) how to plan, measure, quantify and comparably share our successes in ‘environmental and social governance’ grows rapidly.How can we realistically continue to meet the long-term demands of different societies (including airport operators, airlines and passengers), whilst also achieving low carbon and net zero solutions, gains in biodiversity and natural capital, social and gender equality, and climate resilience? In answer: a significant and, to-date, remarkably undervalued part of the solving this conundrum lies in the achievement of a Circular Economy. Whilst the concept of the Circular Economy cannot be traced back to a single origin, its principles have emerged over the last 50 years from a variety of sources: from biological, economic and energy theorists, to industrial and manufacturing models and policy instruments. In the last two decades, these theories and their underlying concerns have been brought to the fore by global events such as escalating raw material prices, resource dictatorships and economic crises. The butterly modelIn response, the values and codes that underpin the Circular Economy have needed to be brought together and articulated in a modern context, so that can also be applied to all sectors – including aviation. This has been achieved by organisations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and – through its Circular Economy Action Plans – the European Union. Thanks to their efforts, and of now many others in industry, the achievement of a Circular Economy it is now widely recognised as an absolutely critical component of a sustainable and ‘future ready’ world.The “Butterfly diagram” by Ellen MacArthur Foundation In its simplest form, the Circular Economy asks us to look past our traditional ‘take-make-use-dispose’ approach to consumption, to find a less wasteful and damaging approach. At a deeper level, this means leading a just transition to new economic models that decouple economic growth from material consumption, and that prioritise the redistribution of wealth to communities that have historically borne the brunt of resource depletion and waste generation. Perhaps the most widely accepted definition of a Circular Economy is set down by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation. The definition is based on the need for us to take action following three key principles, which challenge and stimulate us to:Minimise and eliminate waste and pollution;Keep resources (whether materials, energy and or water) in use, and at their highest possible value;Regenerate nature, and thereby preserve and enhance the Earth’s natural capital.The Foundation has also usefully visualised these principles in its Butterfly Diagram. The diagram clearly demonstrates how ‘wastage’ or ‘leakage’ should be prevented at every lifecycle stage of a resource, irrespective of whether they are biological or technological in nature (biological resources are biodegradable and contain nutrients that should be returned to the Earth; technological resources are non-renewable materials that should be cycled through loops of refusing, reusing, repairing, remanufacturing or, where necessary, recycling). We have no more timeFundamentally, humans consume too many resources, too quickly. The scale and pace of aviation – in particular, its growth in the last 30 years – and its reliance on fossil fuels, certainly plays its part. In 2022, the Global Footprint Network calculated that we extracted and used 75% more resources than the Earth can regenerate. It also notes that this trend is not abating: the time in which it takes us to consume ‘one Earth’s’ resources gets earlier every year. Compounding this evidence, the United Nations has forecast that global resource consumption is expected to more than double by 2050.Earth Overshoot Day 1971 -2022 The importance of the Circular Economy can also be expressed in the context of net zero – a topic which continues to challenge the aviation sector. Whilst the decarbonisation of energy through the use of renewables for buildings, assets and services is expected to contribute to 55% of this goal, the way we manage cement, plastics, steel, aluminium, and food is the key to unlocking the remaining 45%. This startling fact is published in Material Economics’ and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2021 report ‘Completing the Picture’ which also states that “designing out waste, keeping materials in use, and regenerating farmland can reduce… emissions by 9.3 billion tonnes. That is equivalent to eliminating current emissions from all forms of transport globally.”From an economic angle, the weight of evidence is equally compelling. Accenture has forecast that by 2030, a $4.5 trillion opportunity exists through reducing waste and stimulating circular innovation and employment. The European Parliament reports that waste prevention, eco-design and reuse could save EU companies €600 billion per annum and generate 580,000 jobs. Investors and funding bodies are also starting to recognise the value of circular ventures: the Greater London Authority (£13M fund, May 2020), the Welsh Government (£6.5M fund, June 2020), Zero Waste Scotland / EDRF (£73M, 2020) and Black Rock ($20M seed fund for corporate circular initiatives (October 2019), which raised $900M in its first year). And these statements don’t even touch on the potential benefits for front-line communities, local economies and security of supply. In summary, there is very little argument against fostering a culture for circularity. So the question we now need to ask is: how? The transition to a new modelIn its simplest form, the Circular Economy asks us to look past our traditional ‘take-make-use-dispose’ approach to consumption, to find a less wasteful and damaging approach. At a deeper level, this means leading a just transition to new economic models that decouple economic growth from material consumption, and that prioritise the redistribution of wealth to communities that have historically borne the brunt of resource depletion and waste generation. Perhaps the most widely accepted definition of a Circular Economy is set down by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation. The definition is based on the need for us to take action following three key principles, which challenge and stimulate us to:Minimise and eliminate waste and pollution;Keep resources (whether materials, energy and or water) in use, and at their highest possible value;Regenerate nature, and thereby preserve and enhance the Earth’s natural capital.The Foundation has also usefully visualised these principles in its Butterfly Diagram. The diagram clearly demonstrates how ‘wastage’ or ‘leakage’ should be prevented at every lifecycle stage of a resource, irrespective of whether they are biological or technological in nature (biological resources are biodegradable and contain nutrients that should be returned to the Earth; technological resources are non-renewable materials that should be cycled through loops of refusing, reusing, repairing, remanufacturing or, where necessary, recycling). Moving towards industrial symbiosisIn short, the aviation industry is now acutely responsible for understanding the concepts and principles of the Circular Economy. We must establish the standards and principles that are relevant to our respective worlds, and work to apply those at scale. Within aviation, there are of course logistical, commercial and security complexities to such action – but these are challenges that we – as academics, scientists, planners, engineers, construction contractors, operators – should relish overcoming through consensus and collaborative working. Of course, fostering a culture of circularity can be achieved in many different ways. Examples could include 1) the re-articulation of an existing action to better align with circular principles, 2) a re-framing of plans and intent to account for circular metrics, or 3) the piloting and up-scaling of brand new approaches, for example developing digital infrastructure that can manage material flows across multiple lifetimes of physical infrastructure. Whichever route is adopted, qualifying, quantifying and sharing the lessons from our ventures – and having the confidence to do that openly and honestly – is an essential part of the process. In whatever work or plans we take forward, it is worth noting that achieving practical outcomes by applying circular thinking is rarely achieved in isolation. This is especially the case for aviation, where the range of delivery partners is especially diverse, complex and international. But this is where the concept of ‘industrial symbiosis’ comes into play: whenever circular principles are applied, we must consider and engage the full gamut of value chain members, facilitators, partners and advisors that influence our goals. Even getting to know our ‘commercial neighbours’ can be a first simple step to progressing more circular solutions. A global positionBut before we set out on our journey, we need to understand where we are at this point in time. What is our current level of circularity? To answer this, Circle Economy’s 2023 Circularity Gap Report, provides us with the hard-hitting message that the world is currently only 7.2% circular (8.6% circular in 2022). Put another way, we are consistently failing to achieve best value from over 90% of that which we consume. Notably, the Report also describes how aviation represents the fastest growing source of transport emissions in the global system. Reinforcing the social dimension of circularity, 90% of those emissions arise from the richest 50% of the planet. And as if this wasn’t enough, our consumption of resources under ‘business as usual’ conditions is expected to continue to rise steeply: between 2000 and 2021, we doubled our global resource consumption, exceeding a mind-boggling 100 billion tonnes of material extraction per year at the end of this period. And to 2050, some estimates almost double this value again.How many fossil fuel calories does it take to produce one food calorie in… ? So what now?The Circular Economy is not going away. It’s presence in, and value to, the environment, our society and our economic stability is now well placed and understood. Those who engage best and mature their businesses in response to this demand will find themselves at the forefront of the journey to sustainability, as well as reputationally and economically advantaged.Without hesitation, I therefore encourage each of you draw inspiration from the articles in this edition of DomusAir, learn more, bring others into the fray, and – in the coming weeks and months – be an ambassador for actively responding to:advances in and new educational resources, measurement tools and international standards for circularity, building on for example the robust framework set out in BS8001:2017 (Framework for implementing the principles of the Circular Economy in organizations – Guide);diversifying and increasingly substantial investment and research funds;the potential for digitalisation replacing physical solutions with services;opportunities to support infrastructure and industrial ecosystems that will help close the loop on resources (thus simultaneously reducing our reliance on primary materials);opportunities to specify circular practice and deliverables in contracts;innovations in local value chains, and the needs of local communities, as part of circular decision making process;sharing information on circular pilotsand new ventures that showcase provenance and best practice;environments in which to build positive relationships between the Circular Economy, and future readiness, net zero, natural capital, climate resilience and social value. Brave new stepsFaced with some of the evidence presented in this article, it would be easy to consider the mountain insurmountable. However as a consultant who specialises in this field, I would immediately argue this is an unequivocable call to arms: any gaps in circular practice can be re-framed as having the potential for improvement. In this, we must compel ourselves contribute in whatever way we can, and to learn and refine how we advance that contribution over time. And it is this spirit that is now engendered in the investment and leadership of many organisations and bodies working in built environment sectors. To name just a few (and many of which WSP has had the privilege of leading or work on):AviationDuring the development of Terminal 1, Heathrow Ltd focussed on the redistribution (rather than removal and disposal) of fixtures, furnishings and equipment, reducing the need to procure brand new assets (and resources). It has also designed some of its new terminals as ‘canopies’, rather than fixed structures. These canopies allow the structures and buildings beneath to be reorganised over time to respond to changing security and passenger needs; this approach also avoids disruption to both landside / airside activities;London Gatwick and Indianapolis airports have both challenged the traditional approaches and materials that are used in runways: rather than resurface the whole of its main runway, London Gatwick only resurfaced the heavily trafficked areas, saving materials, cost and time. Indianapolis is planning to use low carbon concrete for its new runway;Almost 95% of a used aero engine can now be recycled and around half of the recovered material is of such high quality it can be safely used again to make a new engine. Rolls Royce leases its jet engines, so that it is in a prime position to recover and reuse the rare earth metal ‘hafnium’ in turbine blades, rather than being part of the value chain that is responsible for hafnium’s ongoing primary extraction. RailFrom High Speed 2 Ltd (specifying increasingly stringent requirements for structural timber and steel reuse in its contractual documents) to Network Rail (regularly updating its technical requirements for sustainable resource management and waste).RoadsFrom National Highways (developing sustainability design codes for expectations on circular practice, as well as implementing integrating circular thinking its Concrete Roads Framework) to local and transport authorities (commissioning research into how to integrate waste plastic in asphalt, and how to optimise the capital value of resources across their various lifetimes).Buildings and landFrom The Crown Estate (engaging extensively with its value chain to understand the key opportunities for circular economy across the marine industry supply chain), to private developers working alongside the Mayor of London’s Circular Economy requirements to make use facilitate a ‘matching process’ between structural design and databases of reclaimed steel sections.Venture capitalInvestors working with developers to achieve more interdependent and circular outcomes through well-defined metrics from standards and emerging legislation. Organisations also now benefit from the support of ambassador bodies – such as the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment, the UK Green Building Council and UK Water Industry Research – who have dedicated efforts to improving circular practice in our industries. We continue to witness the expansion of this virtuous circle. by Tim Danson (from DomusAir n.7 – March 2023) back to top