The resource-efficient economy: european trends and lessons for Ukraine

Abstract

Introduction. Unstable supply of material resources, their excessive and inefficient use along with the rapid growth of world population have become one of the main challenges of XXI century. In response, international organizations and developed countries propose a variety of concepts for sustainable, inclusive economy and its component – the green economy. The key objectives of these policies include the more efficient use of resources, which covers all stages of the product life cycle: from its design to recycling waste.

Purpose of this article is the studying the latest trends in implementation of the EU policies for productive use of resources and preparation of proposals on the measures and tools for developing the resource-efficient economy in Ukraine.

Results. In the EU member-countries the resource efficiency measures are implemented in accordance with the priorities, which have been set out in the policy documents, in two areas: towards productive use of natural resources and reduction of wastes, their reuse and recycling. The main tools of the promotion of the productive use of resources are: the shift from taxation of labor income to taxation of the resources used and of the environmental damage as well as the introduction the public procurement of products with a high proportion of reused materials and renewable energy sources ("green procurement"). Search of the ways to reduce wastes and improve their reuse and recycling have led to such initiatives as Extended Producer Responsibility and the Circular economy (zero-waste economy), which are based on the "polluter pays" principle, extension of the use of materials in the product due to its prolonged use and increased use of secondary raw materials.

To increase the Extended Producer Responsibility the "waste hierarchy" principle has been introduced with the differentiated fees for waste disposal regarding their place in the hierarchy. To develop the circular economy some aims have been set including the use of waste as a resource, the assessment of the actual rate of recycling, the cease of storage in landfills the wastes that are recyclable, the use of garbage for energy and biofuels.

The main measures that have been proposed to improve the resource efficiency in the Ukrainian economy have become the elaboration of an action plan for the green economy development in Ukraine, the definition of its objectives and instruments to stimulate resources saving in business activity and introduction the eco-innovation, among them fiscal incentives, green procurement, differentiation of fees for waste disposal, higher and fair prices on resources.