Building a responsible Europe - the value of circular economy

The following paper focuses on the philosophical idea of circular economy, a model of industrial ecology that suggests concrete solutions to achieve a sustainable way of living and an environmentally-friendly economy. Different to the linear model, the innovative circular economy approach comprises life-cycle thinking and considers both stocks and flows. In chapter 1 the work outlines the fact of pushing for economic growth for the last centuries. Chapter 2 then continues in highlighting the major characteristics of the next industrial era - the 4th industrial revolution. Successively chapter 3 introduces the concept of circular economy and briefly sketches its importance for global industrialisation. Chapter 4 focuses on concepts of stocks and flows in circular economy and its importance in terms of production and waste. In chapter 5 and in the conclusions this paper outlines the concrete solutions and the additional value of circular economy that is to be brought for the current industrial system. The title of this paper alludes to the fact that concrete action is required in all sectors in order to make this revolution happen and to which extent Europe might be able to assume its responsibilities and lead such a shift to a more sustainable future (C) 2016, IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control) Hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.