How can the circular economy succeed within planetary boundaries?

On March 12, 2026, Prof. Christina Dornack was a guest at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing as a member of the German Advisory Council on the Environment. In a presentation, she made it clear that, in addition to efficiency and consistency, a sustainable circular economy also requires sufficiency - i.e. the "less, but enough" approach.

Sufficiency means fundamentally questioning resource-intensive practices, rethinking political and economic framework conditions and initiating changes in social behavior. This is the only way to effectively reduce the demand for raw materials and environmental pollution and ensure security of supply in the long term.

[Text slightly modified from the pages of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing]