Infrastructure makes up a significant part of the built environment and is the backbone of a healthy economy. Delivering infrastructure, however, is becoming increasingly challenging. The sector has a significant environmental impact from material use, waste production and CO2 emissions.

As European economies are highly material import dependent, closing infrastructure material cycles at the European level is essential to address these challenges. It reduces pressure on the environment, enhances material supply security, increases competitiveness, innovation, and growth and creates jobs. But how can we achieve that? What challenges and opportunities for closing material cycles in infrastructure through European cooperation?

The ECESP leadership group on Building and Infrastructure invites you to identify blind spots and activate European cooperation for closing infrastructure material cycles. Join our panellists in an open discussion about closing material cycles at the EU level: what are the stakes, obstacles, and opportunities? What should be arranged at the EU level from a policy and market perspective to make that happen? Can the different value chain stakeholders collaborate on that?

The bioeconomic sector is an indispensable part of the world’s economy, providing food, feed, textiles, energy, and more. But to attain a circular bioeconomy, we must modify and adapt the inherited linear value chains in the sector.

The ECESP leadership group on Bioeconomy and Food Systems invites you to this EU Circular Talks (#EUCTs) on Bioeconomy Value Chains. Join us on 05 October 2022 (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CEST), to get insights on ways we can help design and build circular value chains that foster bioeconomic transformation.

There has been relatively little focus on the role of consumers in the circular economy but ultimately, the decision on how a product will be recycled, repaired or reused lies with the end users. This EU Circular Talk will share insights into enabling circular behaviour through digitalisation, learn about experiences across the EU, and discuss implications for the future with European stakeholders.

Construction materials and products represent about 50% of all raw materials extracted from the earth's crust. Construction and demolition activities represent 50% of all waste generated.

The ECESP Leadership Group on Construction and Infrastructure invites you to attend this #EUCircularTalks on 20 October from 10:00 to noon CEST. Join the expert panel to find out just how effective the construction system is in using secondary materials from the supply chain and the advantages of that in terms of CO₂ emissions and embodied energy using secondary materials.

Registration is now open.

In March 2022, the European Commission released its EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles in the Circular Economy Action Plan framework. The strategy aims at setting a framework to boost the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the EU textile sector.

Six months after its release, where do we stand? Join the ECESP leadership group on Textile and all speakers during this #EUCircularTalks event on 26 September, from 14:30 - 16:00 CEST, to discuss the EU textile strategy, its implementation and vision for the current textile industry.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) promotes sustainable production. The passport lists all materials and components used in a product or a building and the information on their location. Providing this information could increase the product circularity and contribute to reaching the net-zero objective.

What are the challenges ahead? What are the initiatives in place at the European level? Join us online on 8 July from 09:00 to 10:30 CEST to learn more from frontrunner stakeholders that have already conceptualised digital product passports and are operating them on the EU market.

The circular economy is about designing out waste, but what about the emissions resulting from the manufacture and use of products and services?

Switching to a circular economy could help reduce carbon emissions and avoid climate breakdown. To stabilise global temperatures, businesses and governments must reach net zero emissions. This means that they need to implement measures first to reduce emissions as far as humanly possible and then to remove all artificial greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.

In May and June, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) and Normative will be holding a two-part #EUCircularTalks to discuss the role of carbon emissions in closing the loops in a circular economy and discuss the role played by EU policies and legislation in reducing carbon emissions.

This #EUCircularTalk on Measuring Circularity on 17 May 2022 aims to reach out to and hold an interactive dialogue with stakeholders outside the leadership group. This session will address the link between ISO work on international circular economy standards and circular procurement practices.

The national Norwegian GPP audit will be presented as an example of measuring green public procurement efforts and their impact.

This EU Circular Talk aims to share insights and impressions from the collaboration of the German-based Packaging Club, learn about experiences in other European countries and regions, and discuss implications for the future with interested European stakeholders. 

The transition to a circular economy entails the systemic transformation of entire value chains, covering design, production and consumption. Cities and regions are hubs of innovation and socio-economic transformation, with great potential to lead the transition to a circular economy. However, such a deep transformation often requires supporting mechanisms to make it happen.

ACR+, EIB Advisory Hub, the European Commission, the Government of Navarra, the Interreg MED Green Growth community, EIT Raw Materials, Dublin city, EUCF and the ECESP invite you to attend this #EUCircularTalks to discuss how different supporting initiatives are being used by cities and regions in their transition towards a circular economy. The talk will take place on 13 December at 10:00-11:30 CET.

While the circular economy is widely discussed, there are still numerous challenges to ensure that the current innovations and models can be upscaled and mainstreamed. Closing the loops will require substantial investments, a total shift in how we do business and consume, and many policy enablers.

Where should we set the priorities to close these loops? How can standardisation support circular design without hampering innovation? What are the essential criteria to be developed for improving the design of our products without other environmental trade-offs?

EuroCommerce, EIT Community Circular Economy and the ECESP invite you to actively engage with stakeholders in discussing the fundamental principles and circular design as drivers for the uptake of the circular economy on 29 November, at 11:30 CET.

Circular procurement is one of the answers to the changing functional needs of users within an organisation. It is also an essential tool for promoting a circular economy in the procurement process by stimulating the market for circular products and services.

On 25 November 2021, at 10.00-12.00 CET, the ECESP Leadership Group for Circular Procurement invites you to join the #EUCircularTalks on circular procurement. The debate will centre on the policies to drive circular procurement, thereby accelerating the transition to a circular economy within the EU. From policy levels varying from the European Commission to cities, speakers will share their experiences with circular and green procurement policies. These will set the stage for an interactive dialogue.

Although there is a well-established body of literature on measuring the circular economy and its implications, most monitoring frameworks focus on measuring materials and waste production. However, the multi-dimensional aspect of the circular economy and the range of objectives underpinning circular economy strategies mean that we need to identify new targets and indicators.

ACR+, Zero Waste Scotland, EEB, ICLEI, EIT Circular Economy Community, Circular Regions and the ECESP invite you to discuss the implications of measuring circular economy actions in cities and regions on 17 November at 10:00 CET.

Food waste is one of the main challenges of the 21^st century worldwide. Our food system remains one of the biggest contributors to climate change, generating significant amounts of solid waste, but at the same time, 55 million EU citizens cannot afford a quality meal every day.

The IRCEM, the CSCP, BBI, Innowo and the ECESP are organising an #EUCircularTalks event on 26 October at 10:00 CEST.

The speakers of the event will discuss the different implications of waste and resource efficiency from a macro perspective to study cases and stakeholder engagement.

The “take-make-waste” model of production and consumption dominating our linear economy today is not only highly wasteful but also an essential contributor to climate change. Up to 45% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are associated with land management and the production of consumer goods, food, fashion, buildings, and other products used day-to-day.

The ECESP Coordination Group Members EIT Climate KIC, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Sitra, Generation Climate Europe, and OVAM invite you to this #EUCircularTalks at the UN Climate Conference COP26 in Glasgow on 6 November at 11:00 CET. The panel will discuss integrating and upscale circular solutions into national climate strategies like the Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

Consumer electronics, computers, laptops, TVs, tablets, gaming consoles, wearables, cameras etc., have become an essential part of our daily lives, with smartphones representing most retail sales. In the context of increased digitalisation, our reliance on these devices is likely to increase. But, how to address the critical environmental, societal and behavioural challenges to reduce their overall impact in the coming years? How to define the clear responsibility and opportunity of each actor when their roles are constantly changing?

EuroCommerce, the Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), the European Environment Agency and the ECESP invite you, on 19 October at 11:00 CEST, to this #EUCircularTalks to discuss the role and responsibility of electronic retailers to support the circular economy.

Collaboration is the key to a successful and effective circular transformation. But how do different stakeholders collaborate on the ground? How do they collaborate with the government? With what impact?

On 11 October at noon CEST, Circular Change and Holland Circular Hotspot invite you to this #EUCircularTalks on the role of Network Governance and circular economy hubs in the EU circular transition. Special guest Prof. Jacqueline Cramer will introduce her survey on network governance's results, followed by presentations and exchanges on past experiences from stakeholders.

The building and infrastructure sectors show high potential for circularity given their significant resource and energy consumptions. Despite several EU initiatives in the sector, little attention is given to sustainable and circular infrastructure. ENEA, Alchemia-Nova, Innowo, the ECESP Coordination Group on construction and infrastructure and the ECESP invite you to the twin #EUCircularTalks on 28 and 30 September at 10:00 a.m. CEST.

Join us and learn more on connections between the construction and infrastructure value chain and the other value chains, and also the strength and weaknesses of using secondary materials in the market.

The design stage will determine up to 80% of a product’s environmental impact. Designing better is key to reduce this impact. But what do these principles mean in practice for textiles? Where are the gaps in current standards and benchmarks, and how can we account for the variability of textile products when deciding on specific ecodesign criteria?

ECOS, OVAM, EMF, EuroCommerce, the Policy Hub, the Leadership Group on Textile and ECESP invite you on 9 November at 10:00 CET to this #EUCircularTalks event to discuss and expand the current Ecodesign directive to include textiles and within the upcoming EU Textile Strategy. Speakers and experts will set the scene for the forthcoming SPI and provide the theoretical framework for applying eco-design principles to textile products. Business owners will present cases of how they used these ideas in practice.

Resource extraction and processing are responsible for 90% of land-use related biodiversity loss. Nature conservation and restoration on their own will not be enough to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The transition to a circular economy provides a pivotal opportunity to explore this issue. Join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, L'Institut National de l'Economie Circulaire (INEC), the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the ECESP on 8 September at 3 p.m. CEST for the first hybrid #EUCircularTalks from the EU Pavilion at IUCN’s World Conservation Congress.

The European Commission considers the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as a regulatory measure to promote sustainable textiles and treating textile waste under the waste hierarchy. Register now for the #EUCircularTalks on 21 September at 13:00-15:00 (CEST). OVAM, European Environmental Bureau, EuRIC, Ecopreneur.eu, Eurocommerce, and the ECESP invite you to discuss ongoing developments around setting Extended Producer Responsibility schemes for textiles.

The linear way of producing and consuming products is ruining fragile ecosystems and causing the loss of valuable natural resources. The circular economy brings more sustainable solutions where products are in use longer, and materials are reused to manufacture new products.
GS1, TCO Development, EIT Circular Economy Community and the ECESP invite you to the #EUCircularTalks on the green digital passport. Mark your calendars on 14 September, and stay tuned via our communication channels for updates.

Euric, Innowo, the Leadership Group on Economic Incentives and the ECESP invite you to this #EUCircularTalks event to take place from 2 to 4 p.m. CEST on 3 September 2021. The event aims to foster discussion on the importance of aligning taxation with the strategic goals enshrined in the Green Deal and the new Circular Economy Action Plan. High-level policy makers will talk with experts from industry and non-governmental organisations about the key factors involved when developing a fair taxation system.https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/sites/default/files/femke-groothuis-green-tax_0.pdf

The textile industry has also been identified as a priority sector for the EU’s move towards sustainability in the European Green Deal and the New Industrial Strategy for Europe, due to its high use of resources and high impact on the environment. The upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles aims at shifting the European Union to a circular economy where textiles are designed to be more durable, reusable, repairable & recyclable.

On 6 July 2021, EuRIC, RREUSE, RVO, SMEunited and the ECESP are organising a #EUCircularTalks policy Q&A. Registrations are now open.

The University of Turin, the Leadership Group on Food waste, food systems and the bioeconomy and the ECESP will be holding a #EUCircularTalks event on the role of cities in boosting the circularity of food systems. The event aims to share insights and best practices on how we can help design and build circular food systems that foster the Urban Food Transformation.

Understanding today's deconstruction practices is crucial to understanding the challenges and opportunities of the renovation wave. Join us on 19 July at 3 p.m. CEST for the #EUCircularTalks on the relevance of deconstruction design to enable the renovation wave.

Young people have an important role to play in the transition to a circular economy, both acting as a representative of consumers with different and higher expectations than the generations before them regarding sustainability, and as the face of innovative entrepreneurs aware of the limit of the current economic model and ready to rethink production and consumption habits as they enter the professional world.

The circular economy promises a brighter future for the European economy. Industrial symbiosis is a way to achieve a more sustainable and integrated industrial system, identifying business opportunities that leverage underutilised resources. Join the EIT Community Circular Economy, Circlean and the ECESP for an event on Industrial Symbiosis and the Green Deal, on Wednesday 16 June from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. CEST.