Humans of the circular transition: the power of meeting each other

Interview with Ladeja Godina Košir, Founder and Executive Director of Circular Change, and Cathrine Barth, Natural State’s Head of Circular Economy, from the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform’s annual conference in Brussels earlier this year.

Cathrine: I would like to have your reflections on what are the benefits of circular days like this one in Brussels? 

Ladeja: I think the benefit, first of all, is that we come together and that we finally have the opportunity and time to talk. And not only talk about what is on the agenda but also about what we aspire for, what we are worried about and so on — so that we become more human. Because during the COVID time and when we only have Zoom sessions, we become more like robots — super productive and focused on what has to be done, what is on the to-do list — but we miss the other part. I believe that innovation and creativity can only happen through this kind of small talk and openness and through nourishing these kinds of relationships. So, that is why I think these opportunities to meet are so important!

It has been quite an astonishing meetup both physically and digitally. There are now a lot of upcoming frameworks, regulations and legal changes from the EU. And we saw a lot of ministers and parliamentarians take the stage — in your opinion, what would be the most significant political direction that we have heard during these days?

I would here point out that what we listened to was public governance. I can say that the Commission and the rest of the European team did a great job regarding the toolbox for the implementation of the Green Deal. So, as you mentioned, we have a lot coming up. We have new regulations, we have new documents, strategies and guidelines — you name it. That is one part, a top-down approach is always needed because we need a framework. But what I find relevant at an event like this is that we take into account the other side as well, so what we would call network governance — that being all the stakeholders collectively.

It is important to not only listen to what, let's say, the European Union is providing as the framework but also create and co-create a vibrant dialogue based on that, and focus on how to implement that on the ground. Because as I said, we have a set of cookbooks, which is perfectly nice, but now we need to figure out how to cook this dish. And what is particularly significant at this very moment is that we are in a time of war and we are still somehow, I wouldn't say pretending, but hoping that it is not for real. But it is. And it is affecting our lives and it will affect our lives even more in the future. We are not only talking about the war in Ukraine but everything that is happening due to climate change — from migrations to poverty. 

I just recently read an article that in France, they are already lacking drinking water because of the drought and so on. So that is happening already as we speak. And what we need now is this bridge between public governance on one side and network governance and collaboration on the other side. Furthermore, what we need is radical collaboration, it is not enough that we listen to each other, we have to hear each other and co-create solutions that are so much needed. And as we talked about already, and I also mentioned on the panel, we need to imagine the future we want to live in — because when we are focused on fear, we are not open to creation, we just think about how to survive. We have to open our hearts and our minds to imagine the future we want to live in and to find new ways how to organise society and the economy around that. 

And finally, what do you see as the role of regions when we are entering this era of massive change and we don't yet know how the change will turn out? And what do you specifically see as the role of the Nordic region?

I would say that even before regions there are communities. I really count on communities because within communities we are people who know each other, have feelings for each other, and understand each other because of this necessity of coexistence. So, from these small communities in which we can organise our lives based on the values we want to nourish, we then move to considering the regions. 

And if you are asking me about the Nordic region, as I see it since I'm not a part of it, what I always admire is a kind of trust and transparency. Because, for me, you have this kind of openness towards sharing information, such as about earnings, taxes and so on. That is the basis for trust in a society, at least I see it as an important part of that. So for Nordics, I would say that you can be a kind of a role model ob how a society can organise itself based on these values that you already have and blend them with what other regions and other continents can bring. 

So, I think that each region has something that has value — but only if it is blended with others. So no one is superficial, no one is a hero by itself or by its own. But the real art of this is how we can blend these different qualities and experiences and move forward towards something that we really see is an inclusive society. 

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Thank you for a great interview Ladeja Godina Kosir. The main theme of the Nordic Circular Summit this year is to explore the human aspects of the circular economy and how we can create a circular transition that is equal, fair, and for all. Follow for more information here: https://www.nordiccircularsummit.com/