Circular Economy: Improving resilience and reducing emissions
Circular Economy: Improving resilience and reducing emissions
This Circular Economy: Improving resilience and reducing emissions briefing helps businesses think more holistically about emissions, including how these might spread throughout supply chains.
To date, most business and government responses to the climate crisis have focused primarily on emissions associated with energy use. On its own, this approach fails to address the hidden carbon impacts from the entire lifecycle of the products we buy and use. These range from material extraction to manufacturing, distribution, operation, and disposal.
All businesses are responsible for reporting the indirect emissions across the various stages of the product lifecycle (known as Scope 3 emissions).
To reduce these lifecycle emissions, we must think about more effective ways to manage the costs involved in buying, using, reusing and disposing of materials in order to consume less and meet society’s needs. This is where the circular economy can accelerate pathways to lower emissions. 
This briefing was first published in September 2020 and was republished in June 2026.
About this briefing
The Circular Economy: Improving resilience and reducing emissions briefing provides information on:
Further resources
Further resources to futureproof your business can be found on the Futureproofing Business Resource Hub (coming summer 2026).
How Business in the Community can support your organisation
BITC supports members to set net-zero targets and develop practical delivery plans to reduce emissions, improve resource efficiency, and protect nature. We have the resources, expert advice, and support from other members to help.
If you are a BITC member, speak to your relationship manager about an environmental advisory services package to receive bespoke support for your business.Â
