This Standardization Roadmap aims to provide an overview of the status quo of standardization in the field of the circular economy, to describe the requirements and challenges for seven key topics, and to identify possible needs for future standards and specifications.
The 2025 Basque Circular Summit will be the largest event on the circular economy in southern Europe this year. It will analyse the challenges and opportunities posed by the circular economy for companies, society and the economy in the Basque Country and show what has already been achieved.
The network properties of the global waste trade were assessed using time series data of material and monetary flows between 2000 and 2022 from Chatham House's experimental database. The study focused on the distribution of monetary and material flows, policy recommendations and future research avenues useful for obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of socio-economic systems such as trade networks.
This work is a solid example of the application of network-based methods as an eco-mimicry approach for assessing the sustainability and fragility of socio-economic systems which can be helpful for researchers and policy makers interested in transitions towards regenerative circular economies.
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.
