Green and Circular Economy
Evolution and tech change
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1970
The Awakening of Environmental Conscience
The growing concern about the impact of industry and other human activities on the planet along with the so-called ‘oil crisis’ marked the emergence of this sector.
Advance
Legal and institutional framework
Good environmental practices in the company
Impact
1970
Advance
Legal and institutional framework
Some countries, driven by social pressure and the 1972 United Nations Environment Programme in Stockholm, drew up environmental protection policies which, through the use of science and technology, sought to reduce risks.
Impact
Good environmental practices in the company
Businesses, in order to comply with the new regulations, began to implement the first Environmental Management Systems (SGA), which sought to reduce the ecological footprint without losing efficiency. This created a need for training so that professionals incorporate environmental criteria into their practices, especially in waste management.
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1980
Nuclear Power Rise and Crisis
As an alternative to oil and in response to increased demand for electricity, many countries began to develop their nuclear programmes, despite the polluting effects.
Advance
Energy paradigm shift
Introduction of JSA
Impact
1980
Advance
Energy paradigm shift
The nuclear accidents in Harrisburg, USA 1979 and Chernobyl, the former USSR, 1986, which had catastrophic consequences, rose worldwide social alarm and called into question whether nuclear energy was an excellent source of energy, boosting the search for alternative sources.
Impact
Introduction of JSA
Awareness was raised of the importance of the prevention measures related to Job safety analysis (JSA) to companies, mainly — but not solely— nuclear. Thus, new professional profiles emerged, linked to improving safety both in the energy production process itself and in the plans for the protection or maintenance of installations.
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1990
Renewables take on the alternative
European commitments and the interest in increasing energy autonomy of industries facilitated the expansion of renewable energies, mainly wind and solar.
Advance
Technology solutions
Technical specialisation
Impact
1990
Advance
Technology solutions
The transition to renewable energies involved the emergence of a variety of technological solutions applied to improving electrical conversion efficiency (enhancing photovoltaic cells or aeroturbines, among others) and creating a new professional market to develop and install these solutions.
Impact
Technical specialisation
The implementation of renewables requires knowledge-based profiles to advance the optimum energy supply and maintenance. Professionals are therefore required to install generators and solar panels primarily, but also to manufacture and distribute components and design renewable energy production plants.
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2000
International Regulations For Sustainability
The Millennium Declarations (New York, 2000) and the Declaration on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) encouraged the adoption of measures for sustainability internationally.
Advance
Environmental regulation
Environmental sustainability and compliance
Impact
2000
Advance
Environmental regulation
The International Standards Organisation (ISO), created a set of standards (ISO14000 and later) that regulate how to establish effective environmental management systems to reduce the impact of any organisation. The first ISO standard dates from 1996, but it did not begin to be implemented in all sectors until a few years later.
Impact
Environmental sustainability and compliance
Sustainability was incorporated into the company and the work teams in a cross-cutting manner. Besides, new roles appeared specialising in environmental legislation and certification: drawing up plans to save and minimise consumption of natural resources, taking measures to improve energy efficiency or creating environmental audits, among others.
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2010
The emergence of the Circular Economy paradigm
Circular economy relays the unworkable linear economic model of extracting-producing-throwing away, seeking to reduce waste since the design stage and lengthen the material’s useful life.
Advance
Circularity Technologies
Entrepreneurship and innovative solutions
Impact
2010
Advance
Circularity Technologies
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a leading organisation in circular economy, advocated for the following key technologies in order to advance in circular initiatives: the reorganisation of processes, the development of new materials, and the digitisation of the production chain. Its implementation made it easier to establish closed-cycle solutions, focused on eco-efficiency and the rational use of materials and resources.
Impact
Entrepreneurship and innovative solutions
The emergence of innovative proposals within the circular economy, often as a result of entrepreneurship, consolidated new profiles related to ecodesign, materials research and circular consultancy, but also entailed professional skills that are put into value, among which stand out analysis and creativity skills to detect and create new business opportunities.
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2020
Digitisation and sustainable development
The United Nations Assembly approved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to address the planet’s great social, economic and environmental challenges.
Advance
Green Digitisation
Technology Qualification
Impact
2020
Advance
Green Digitisation
Technologies are incorporated into Green and Circular Economy by favouring more sustainable practices, for example: monitoring the traceability of waste with blockchain, improving the energy efficiency of households and industries through green algorithms and artificial intelligence, or incorporating sensors and Internet of Things to save energy and resources.
Impact
Technology Qualification
Digitisation in this and other sectors triggered the demand for skilled professionals in data analysis, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud programming, robotics, drone driving, or programming in general. These jobs and technologies will allow more sustainable processes to be implemented, in line with SDGs.
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Future trend
Climate emergencies and paradigm shift
Climate change entails the destruction of ecosystems and species, extreme weather phenomena and the emergence of climate refugees, making it obvious that the current model of production and consumption has an expiry date.
Advance
Energy transition boost
The climate crisis accelerates the sector
Impact
Future trend
Advance
Energy transition boost
Energy transition is activated through the definition of strategies and public initiatives such as the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (EEEC), which seeks to drive the shift towards a more sustainable economy, bypassing fossil fuels, gaining efficiency in resource use and reducing emissions.
Impact
The climate crisis accelerates the sector
The green transition offers new employment opportunities in both designing and installing more sustainable solutions. These include the expansion of new technologies such as green hydrogen, the energy rehabilitation of buildings, the electrification of homes and businesses (abandoning gas) and the creation of distributed generation energy communities.