Filippos K. Zisopoulos, Brian D. Fath, Susana Toboso-Chavero, Hao Huang, Daan Schraven, Benjamin Steuer, Alexandros Stefanakis, O.Grant Clark, Serban Scrieciu, Simron Singh, Dominik Noll, Martin de Jong
This study assesses the network properties of the global trade in waste metals and the distribution of material and monetary flows across trading countries using a bio-inspired approach.
Due to homogenization, high network redundancy and low network efficiency, the trade remained robust yet outside the "window of vitality" characterising natural ecosystems. A few, mostly high-income countries dominated the market, consolidating imports of high-value metal waste, mostly from low- and middle-income exporters.
Policies should address circularity and trade inequities, accounting for environmental and social ramifications throughout the lifecycle of products and materials.
The HOOP project has provided Project Development Assistance to eight lighthouse cities and regions, supporting them with the development of large-scale urban circular bioeconomy initiatives focusing on making bio-based products from urban biowaste and wastewater. The partners have developed a suite of open-source tools to help cities and regions launch urban circular bioeconomy projects.
TCO Certified has over 30 years' experience of driving sustainable development in the IT industry. By continuously developing criteria and verification methods, it tackles new challenges such as circularity, hazardous substances, and socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing.
RedGirraffe ESG Horizon is a software as a service solution designed for enterprise resource planning. It supports the circular economy by enabling precise tracking and optimisation of Scope 3 emissions across global supply chains.
UNEP’s One Planet Network, the UNDP and the UN Climate Change secretariat have developed a practical toolbox that will help countries identify, prioritise, implement and track circular economy measures with a view to implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and making them more ambitious.
The Sustainable Fashion Academy launched the Scandinavian Textile Initiative for Climate Action (STICA) in collaboration with various apparel and textile companies. STICA aims to ensure that the Nordic region and Europe reduce their climate impacts in line with the 1.5°C global warming pathway, while transforming their businesses and the industry.
Signatories to STICA undertake to set targets on scopes 1 to 3 and report back. The focus of this report is emissions reduction, and circular business models are presented as part of the solution. The information provided by the signatory companies as part of their reporting covers circular business models, breaking down how these contribute to scope 3 reduction and their place in the companies' climate action transition plans.
This event aims to familiarise people with the Guidance on increasing NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) ambitions through circular action and the related Activity Sheets, drawn up by the German International Cooperation Society's global Go Circular programme. It will highlight their role in enhancing climate ambitions through circular economy measures.
Berlin began its circular economy transition in 2020 with the adoption of the Waste Management Concept 2020-2030, aiming to implement measures to reduce household, water and construction waste. To advance this transition, it established the Coordination Office for Circular Economy, Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection in Business in 2022 and the Zero Waste Agency in 2023, and commissioned a study to analyse the circular economy’s potential in the industrial sector.
Despite these efforts, the circular economy in Berlin is still often perceived only in terms of sustainable waste management. This paper looks at challenges holding back progress on the circular economy, including policy coherence, and provides recommendations to accelerate the transition.
The sustainability certification TCO Certified has been driving social and environmental sustainability in the IT industry for over 30 years. Every third year, the certification criteria are updated to push sustainability where it matters most.
They are organising an event where they will discuss the steps needed to drive sustainability in four key areas (climate, substances, circularity and supply chain) and present their new Roadmap for Sustainable IT.
Businesses in India and around the world are adopting the circular economy as a new production paradigm. However, while the economic and environmental dimensions of the circular economy have been explored, its social impact (decent pay, gender equality, labour conditions) has been overlooked.
By surveying 100 workers and interviewing 40 managers in India, the authors developed an inventory of circular jobs with the respective demographic. They found that circular jobs in India are of low quality due to relatively low wage and job security indicators (especially for female workers). Informal migrant women in resale, repair and recycling are most vulnerable. Resale and rental based on internet platform models have the highest earning quality for men and women.
