INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGIZATION THROUGH THE LENS OF EU CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDICATIVE FRAMEWORK
Abstract
The article examines ecologization of industrial enterprises through the lens of the indicative framework for the circular economy developed by the European Union. The relevance of this research stems from the fact that industrial corporations are the largest resource consumers and waste producers in the European economy, and their transition to circular models critically influences the success of the European Green Deal and the attainment of sustainable development goals. It is substantiated that the strengthening of policies and programmes in the field of the circular economy is directly correlated with the scale of implementation of environmental social and governance practices. The structure of green initiatives undertaken by industrial corporations is shown to be highly differentiated by direction, with waste minimization, energy efficiency and material savings forming the dominant areas of focus. A systematic analysis of the five blocks of the indicative framework is conducted, namely production and consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials, competitiveness and innovation, and global sustainability and resilience. The study highlights both positive achievements, including the development of eco design, the gradual increase in recycling rates, and the innovation leadership of large corporations, and problematic aspects, such as the high material intensity of production, the dependence on imports of critical raw materials, and the insufficient integration of digital and behavioural indicators. Based on the results, strategic priorities for the ecologization of industrial enterprises are formulated. These priorities include the optimization of material flows, the development of closed waste management cycles, the expansion of the use of secondary raw materials, the strengthening of innovation and digital leadership, as well as the enhancement of global resilience through the reduction of import dependence and the integration of circularity into corporate governance. The study concludes that the indicative framework of the European Union can serve as an effective strategic guide for the green transition of industry, providing not only higher competitiveness and adaptability of enterprises to contemporary geo economic challenges, but also contributing to the long term sustainability of the European economic system as a whole.
References
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