European Aluminium & RECHARGE event: circular and decarbonised: the challenge of accounting and reporting in European policies

A breakfast roundtable organised by European Aluminium & RECHARGE: As Ursula von der Leyen outlined in her political guidelines, circular economy and decarbonisation are key to securing Europe’s raw materials and reducing dependency on third countries. 'Working to decarbonise our economy will be part of our continued shift to a more sustainable pattern of production and consumption, retaining the value of resources in our economy for longer.' However, translating these goals into effective European policies requires robust, replicable and reliable measurement tools. The anticipated Circular Economy Act, as outlined in Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines, has the potential to play a pivotal role in strengthening the use of such tools.

This roundtable will explore the advantages and challenges of measurement approaches and look at how European policies account for circular and decarbonising efforts. It will also address the challenges of using science-based approaches in these policies. One of the most commonly used methodologies for assessing environmental impacts and carbon accounting is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Originating from industry and academic work over the years, LCA has become increasingly significant in modern European policies. However, its use does not come without challenges and lessons to be learned.

With insights from industry experts and EU policymakers, the debate will reveal the challenges, priorities, and safeguards for embedding circularity and decarbonisation accounting methodologies into European policies, ensuring they drive progress toward a competitive, climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy.