Circularity offers pathways to achieve a more sustainable production and consumption and to provide benefits to society. Although sustainability entails an ecological, economic, and a social dimension, the discourse on social aspects seems to have been less prevalent than on economic and environmental ones. Hence the need to further explore the social impacts of circularity and its potential societal benefits.

The aim of this report is to frame, address and better understand questions related to the social impacts of the transition to a Circular Economy. The report synthesises the gathered insights into key emerging themes and identifies gaps or areas of potential in the field as part of the Consumer Insight Action Panel (CIAP) project, led by the CSCP and funded by Sitra and DBU.

The EU Green Deal includes a commitment to shift the tax burden from labour to pollution. EU companies seek to adopt circular practices, but financial incentives in their tax systems curb circular growth.

This study presents a roadmap for a rebalancing of the tax mix, both at national and EU levels. It assesses the impact of 20 taxshift measures significantly decreasing the tax burden on labour while increasing taxation of resource use and pollution.

The analysis shows that a well-considered, broad-based tax reform could lead to more jobs, higher economic growth, fewer emissions and less dependence on imports. It also shows that it is possible to design policy measures addressing environmental issues (Polluter Pays Principle) and social issues (leaving no-one behind) simultaneously.

By building on the insights from previous EEA reports on drivers of sustainability transitions, this briefing explores alternative ideas about growth and progress with the aim of broadening the sustainability debate.

Economic growth is closely linked to increases in production, consumption and resource use and has detrimental effects on the natural environment and human health. It is unlikely that a long-lasting, absolute decoupling of economic growth from environmental pressures can be achieved at the global scale. Societies need to rethink what is meant by growth and progress and their meaning for global sustainability.

The briefing outlines how circular economy may not deliver the transformation to sustainability when growth strategy still leads to increased material consumption.

Across the globe, current approaches to sustainability are leaving lower-income countries behind. The authors of this paper believe a different vision for the future can be built, but transitioning to a circular economy, where waste is eliminated, materials are used and reused at their highest value, and nature is regenerated, won’t be socially just by default.

It is necessary to design the transition well to ensure that workers aren’t left behind, labour rights are uplifted, social benefits are maximised, and a wide range of approaches to circularity are recognised. 

This brief highlights where we are headed if we do not take action, and illustrates key levers to address current oversights on circularity and its relationship to power, trade and technology.

Small Scale Actions (SSA) are a new element introduced for this round of URBACT action planning networks (2019-2022). This compendium summarises all of the SSAs carried out within the Resourceful Cities Network. It aims to support and inspire other cities which want to accelerate their circular transition.

A wide range of SSAs were carried out by Resourceful Cities partners, each one responding to an identified need within the individual city context. Actions included promoting citizen engagement and participation, enhancing knowledge and raising awareness of the circular economy, business support, data collection and monitoring and trialling new business models.

The built environment has a huge impact on the environment. This means that it is a key lever for achieving both the goals set by the Paris Agreement and many other sustainability objectives. Activating that lever will require a long-term transformation of the entire sector.

The circular economy is a way to secure resources, limit impact and promote affordability.

The Metabolic Institute, supported by the Laudes Foundation Built Environment Programme, set out to explore the circularity of the built environment in Europe. The resulting snapshot lays out key challenges, needs and opportunities in this field.

This exploration fed into the process of shaping a new programme starting in May 2022: Accelerating the Circular Economy in the Built Environment.

In the research Youth competencies in the circular economy labour market – A taxonomy of competencies, 50 circular entrepreneurs across Europe were interviewed on the competences that are relevant in their work. The central question is: How should young people be equipped to shift the labour market towards circularity and sustainability?

The results provide an overview of the types of skills, knowledge and attitudes that characterise circular entrepreneurship and leadership. The study concludes with a discussion on the role of youth workers in developing these competences.

This report is the second intellectual output of the Circular Economy - Sustainable Competences for Youth (CESCY) project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU.

The aim of this study is to report on the status quo of circular economy and sustainable practices implementation at the EU level, as well as in Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

This status quo is considered from different perspectives – rules, social norms, funding, knowledge and education, knowledge dissemination vehicles and implementation of the circular economy vision – and involves different stakeholders: state (national government, regional/local government and municipalities), public companies, public and private universities, civil society, private businesses, cooperatives, association of companies and transnational corporations.

This is the first intellectual output of the Circular Economy - Sustainable Competences for Youth (CESCY) project.

Circular economy interventions in four key sectors can halt global biodiversity loss and help the world's biodiversity recover, finds this study.

Tackling root causes - Halting biodiversity loss through the circular economy, written by experts from Sitra and Vivid Economics, is the first to quantify the role a circular economy can play in tackling global biodiversity loss, targeting the four sectors with the largest impacts:

• food and agriculture
• construction
• textiles
• forest and forestry

Circular interventions in these sectors can halt biodiversity loss even if no other action is taken. And more than that, the study finds that the world’s biodiversity can recover to 2000 levels by 2035, if the circular interventions are implemented.

Urgent global action is required to address unsustainable material resource use. This report explores the possibility of, and analyses the implications associated with, developing an international agreement on the management of natural resources.

Why an international agreement?

An international agreement could support

• incentivizing action on a global level
• generate awareness to tackle the issue of resource management
• solve the issue of uncoordinated actions at various regional and governance levels.

The report also looks at the extent to which Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), many of them including provisions relevant to developing circular solutions, cover natural resource management and could be leveraged to enhance resource efficiency.