The apparel value chain is essential for the livelihood of millions of workers around the globe, but working conditions in this sector are far from satisfactory. The circular economy has been used by businesses as a framework for achieving sustainability but there is a lack of knowledge about its social impact.
This paper explores the social impact of the different circular strategies implemented in the Netherlands, Spain and India. It assesses social impacts related to the quality of jobs, workers’ sustainable livelihood and gender equality and inclusion.
It finds that the social ambition of the circular economy is low, and that current circular strategies follow the same feminisation and precariousness of working conditions found in the linear apparel value chain.
SUSTAINair was an H2020-funded project developing circular economy principles for the aviation and aerospace design, manufacturing, operations and end-of-life phases.
This paper examines the socio-environmental justice aspects of 11 key EU policies guiding the textile industry's journey towards circularity.
It found that action is needed to tackle overproduction and overconsumption in the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. Steps must be taken to address the impacts of EU circular economy textile policies on the Global South so as to ensure positive social and environmental outcomes.
The paper also concluded that efforts are needed to make just transition policies globally accountable and alleviation mechanisms integral to the Textile Strategy rather than supplementary corrective measures. Meaningful participatory mechanisms are needed that ensure the democratic inclusion of different views and actors.
The ENDURANCE project has produced a handbook setting out a green acceleration methodology with defined, transferable and effective acceleration scenarios. These will serve as a roadmap for other European clusters, regardless of their sector of industrial activity.
The aim is to promote the transition towards a clean, circular and climate-neutral economy.
Transformative circular futures in the textile and apparel value chain: Guiding policy and business recommendations in the Netherlands, Spain, and India
Circular economy practices are gaining importance in the global textile and apparel value chain. However, the circular economy's social dimension is often overlooked.
To address this problem, this study develops transformative circular futures (TCFs), co-created circular economy scenarios that are diverse and systemic and embed social impact considerations. The aim is to inform policy and business decision making in the textile and apparel value chains of India, the Netherlands and Spain.
The study recommends normalising living wages for direct, indirect and informal workers, implementing regulations challenging the patriarchy, eliminating gender pay and establishing permanent global committees of social actors.
Walking the circular talk: Analyzing the soft and hard aspects of circular economy implementation of ten business cases within the textile and apparel value chain
Companies in the textile and apparel value chain have been increasingly implementing circular economy practices. However, implementation has focused on the techno-environmental (hard) dimension, and partly overlooked the (soft) social dimension. There is a lack of empirical knowledge about how businesses in this value chain simultaneously manage soft and hard aspects of circularity and what kind of socio-environmental impact they generate.
This research analysed the soft and hard aspects of ten circular business cases from three countries. It demonstrates that both aspects are integral components of a comprehensive transformative circular transition framework that facilitates the adoption of more inclusive and circular practices while improving sustainability performance.
The transition to zero emission and energy positive buildings, neighbourhoods and communities is key to unlocking the EU's climate and energy ambitions by transforming both new and existing buildings into drivers of decarbonisation.
This policy recommendation paper puts forward 10 key policy recommendations for national and regional policy makers for overcoming financial barriers for building renovation and transforming existing buildings into zero emission or positive energy neighbourhoods by 2050.
The recommendations are based on experiences and learnings from 8 research and innovations projects in Europe, including 33 demonstration sites around Europe.
circulareconomy.earth is a project set up by Chatham House's Environment and Society Programme. It enables users to explore the policy and trade dynamics associated with transitioning from a linear to a circular economy model, as well as providing analyses of the associated opportunities and trade-offs.
This programme builds on the solid foundations laid by previous programmes.
Chapter 1 sets out a vision of the circular economy up to 2030 and 2050.
Chapter 2 addresses general measures used to help deliver a circular economy in the Netherlands. They affect the various phases of the product value chains.
Chapter 3 describes measures that relate to specific product groups, such as furniture, plastic packaging and housing.
Chapter 4 addresses supporting measures for a number of topics, such as knowledge & innovation, the Circular Netherlands Accelerator!, market incentives, financing instruments and circular procurement.
Chapter 5 covers the collaboration between the parties involved in this programme.
Chapter 6 describes which resources are available for the plans in this programme.
ADVANCE Circular is an Erasmus+ project, focusing on linking the tourism industry with VET (Vocational Education and Training) to embrace circularity. The brochure describes the project which aims to assess the readiness of the tourism sector and VET institutions for adopting circular principles in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.
"Are we ready for circularity?" is part of the second stage (Mapping the Scene & Creating Bridges). It finds that despite progress in raising awareness of circularity, significant efforts are needed to overcome financial, educational and regulatory barriers. Strengthening strategic partnerships, increasing funding support and enhancing training opportunities will be vital to advance circularity readiness in the tourism and VET sectors in these countries.
