Some 30 world experts are asking world leaders to support the transition to a real circular economy, as governments prepare their Covid-19 stimulus packages to boost economies in the wake of the global pandemic.

In an open letter published last week, experts asked leaders to put green stimulus measures at the heart of the recovery package, calling for an economy in which resources are only used if they are 100% recyclable or reusable.

"The European Commission estimates that investing in a circular economy could create some 700.000 jobs by 2030 in Europe alone," the letter states, adding that it also "invigorates sectors that will generate long-term prosperity without destroying our natural world."

The letter has been signed by global activists, including Julie Andersen, global CEO of Plastic Oceans International, and journalist and environmental activist George Monbiot, as well as international politicians and experts from across Europe.

The letter has been spearheaded by the Real Circularity Coalition, a global network of NGOs, activists, academics, politicians and business leaders founded this year to campaign for a real circular economy.

"As world leaders look to economic recovery, short-term carbon-intensive solutions are not the answer," says the letter, noting that "instead of creating an economy where resources are only used if they are 100% recyclable or reusable, represents our best route to a better future. "

"A true circular economy could realize once and for all the vision of a world free from the problems related to runaway climate change and the global waste crisis," the letter added. “Now more than ever, the future belongs to companies that work with nature, not against it. The economic response to the crisis must be executed in accordance with our global sustainability objectives and put green stimulus measures at the front and center. ”