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.

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.

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).

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.