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work in this sector have also been reduced. This policy aims to have people
use certain products longer, decrease the consumption of materials, and
reduce emissions. Milios (2021) states that thanks to these incentive practices,
in some sectors in Sweden, there has been a great increase in repair work,
and an improvement in material efficiency, contributing a partial transition
to circular economy. It can be argued that the use of similar policies in other
sectors and countries would yield successful results in terms of sustainability.

Results and Discussion

The linear economy model, which has been in use so far, is unsustainable and
relies on a take-make-dispose model, which in turn is based on continuously
extracting resources and exhausting natural capital. Such practices worsen
global environmental problems such as climate change, loss of biodiversity,
and pollution. More importantly, if the situation continues, and the necessary
steps are not taken with consistent policies, the use of resources is estimated
to more than double by 2050 (IRP, 2019).
To preserve a livable climate, the emissions should be net-zero by 2050.
Paris Agreement and European Green Deal (EGD) are likely to guide and
encourage many countries in determining their climate change action paths.
To this end, Paris Agreement and EGD draw special attention to the emissions
in industry, which has been subject to global competition and is considered
a “hard-to-abate” sector, and thus, largely neglected until recently despite
they make up one-third of the total greenhouse gases. Without mitigating the
emissions in the industrial sector, it is obvious that the reduction targets will
not be achieved. Therefore, the world needs to focus on the industry from now
on. In this context, in order to decarbonize the industry, the EU has introduced
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as part of the EGD, a binding
agreement concerning all countries trading with the EU.
The main aim of material efficiency strategies to be used in a variety of
stages is to decrease the demand for raw materials, processed materials, and
products. The underlying reasons are to reduce consumption and production-
based emissions of material as well as energy use through decreased demands.
It is clear that the material efficiency strategies discussed here will have an
impact on the CBAM policies, green and circular economy, sustainable smart
transport, and the fight against climate change, and hence, contribute to the
transitions of the countries with net zero emission commitments.
The most recent IPCC Assessment Report emphasizes the importance
of improvements in energy efficiency for industrial decarbonization. The
report also states that the solutions involving the decrease in the demand for

107 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate