Energy, food and water nexus in the European Union: towards a circular economy

Abstract

An efficient and integrated management of energy, food and water resources could help address several of the biggest global challenges, such as climate change, economic, environmental and social security. This work aims to provide an overview of the current integration of energy, food and water (the so-called energy, food and water nexus) in the European Union (EU), focusing on the energy axis, and explores how innovative approaches such as a circular economy may address the future challenges. A lack of awareness on the interconnections between energy, food and water resources is one of the main barriers to the nexus thinking. There are several opportunities that can be exploited within the nexus, such as heat recovery from grey water, food waste, electricity generation, recovery of energy and nutrients from wastewater. In spite of strong interconnectedness, policymakers have tended to develop policies in silos. However, promising examples of cross-sectoral policies exist in the EU. A circular economy framework could be key to encourage a nexus thinking in the EU. Professionals should start looking with more interest at the energy, food and water nexus to exploit new opportunities and take actions to address the future global challenges.