The dominant consumption models, based on a 'take-make-use-dispose', cannot maintain our current life standards without increasing environmental degradation and incurring economic risks.

 A transition to more circular, bio-based approaches needs to happen fast, so that we can restore a regenerative economic model, at the same time reducing environmental footprint on the planet and decreasing the demand for natural resources.

But how can this be done?

How to translate concepts and theories into real life examples and action points that everyone can understand and apply at the individual level?

How many of us know that forests and the forest sector, as sources biodegradable products, feed into a number of modern industries and are already catalyzing a transition at the economy-wide scale?

What choices should we, as consumers, make to support this transition?

All these key questions and others were addressed during a UNECE/FAO event launching a new publication "Circularity concepts in forest-based industries". The publication explains how forest-based industries — including construction, furniture, paper industry, fashion and plastics — are transitioning to a circular economy, and what it means for them to not only be circular but also sustainable and environmentally neutral in the long term.

The event used the example of the furniture and fashion industries to display concrete sustainability and circularity questions and consumer choices that can be made by all of us to accelerate the transition towards a more circular and bio-based economy.

Two short presentations were followed by a Q&A session with UNECE/FAO experts.