The Impact of the Circular Economy on Biodiversity Conservation: Towards an Integrated Approach to Support Decision-Making

Under the Quebec Nature Plan 2030 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Quebec has committed to protecting 30% of its territory by 2030. But protecting natural areas alone is not enough. Economic activities taking place outside these zones continue to exert considerable pressure on ecosystems, through resource extraction, waste production, and the resulting emissions. This is why the circular economy represents a complementary and essential lever: by reducing this pressure at the source, it can directly contribute to conservation goals. With a circularity index that, according to the updated 2025 methodology, stands at only 1.9%, one of the lowest among developed economies, Quebec’s room for improvement is substantial. Yet the tools to concretely quantify its impact on biodiversity are still lacking.

This transdisciplinary research project, unique in Canada, is driven by an unprecedented collaboration between the Quebec Circular Economy Research Network (RRECQ), the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS), SNAP Quebec and Biodiversity Quebec. By seeking to fill a critical gap in the ecological transition, namely the quantification of the benefits of the circular economy for biodiversity, it draws on the development of an integrated conceptual framework, case studies in key sectors of the Quebec economy, collaborative workshops bringing together researchers, governments and economic and institutional stakeholders, and culminates in concrete indicators and decision-support tools. The goal is to provide decision-makers with the means to make the circular transition a genuine lever for preserving Quebec’s natural capital.