Sweden

Sweden is 3.4% circular—leaving a Circularity Gap of more than 96%. This ‘Gap’ simply means that the vast majority of resources Sweden uses to satisfy its needs and wants come from virgin sources. The country’s complex, highly-interconnected economy is relatively low-carbon—but also largely linear. More than 266 million tonnes of resources are funnelled into the economy each year, amounting to nearly 25 tonnes per person—a figure that has continued to swell over recent years. Sweden takes vast quantities of materials from the land and sea to feed demand both domestically and abroad. Domestic resource extraction—which tops 265 million tonnes annually— is the fourth largest worldwide, per capita. While high rates of consumption and extraction are common for an industrial trade nation, it calls for an approach that goes far beyond cycling. To this end, this report also highlights avenues to slash Sweden’s hefty material footprint while boosting its circularity.

The Value Gap

This first-of-its-kind report, CGR Sweden: The Value Gap, builds on that foundation. It represents a leading effort to examine the links between resource use and economic value, as well as the economic risks of maintaining a linear paradigm. Building on the global and national CGRs, which map material flows and highlight opportunities for circular strategies, this report expands the frame and asks: systems we build—and where is value lost or not created?