Against the backdrop of EU mandates for recycled-material use, resource circulation is moving beyond environmental measures to become a strategy supporting economic security. Public- and private-sector investment in the circular economy is accelerating, particularly in Japan’s automotive industry.
The European Union’s move to mandate the use of recycled materials is elevating resource circulation beyond the scope of environmental measures, making it a growth strategy that supports economic security. In Japan, public- and private-sector investment is advancing to promote the circular economy, while efforts to secure resources and strengthen international competitiveness are being put to the test.
The series examines efforts to promote the domestic circulation of scarce resources, including discarded appliances, with the focus on how to secure the domestic circulation of resources such as rare earths and semiconductors.
Starting with the automotive industry, resource-circulation initiatives are becoming linked to industrial strategies in Japan and overseas and are being positioned as part of Japan’s growth strategy from the perspective of resource security. Developments going forward will be closely watched.