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Circle Economy is proud to announce the appointment of four sustainability leaders to our Supervisory Board. Each new member brings a unique perspective and a shared commitment to accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Their expertise and experience will be instrumental in advancing our mission to double global circularity by 2032.
’We are honoured to have been approached by so many distinguished experts who are keen to join our Supervisory Board. Selecting just four of them to complement our existing non-executive Board was a challenging task. Gordana, Marcus, Nancy, and Sisse bring a wealth of perspectives and experiences, and I am excited to collaborate with them as we continue to support global transformation towards 17% global circularity.’ — Ivonne Bojoh, CEO of Circle Economy
Meet the new Supervisory Board members!
Dr. Gordana Kierans
Dr. Gordana Kierans has dedicated her career to empowering changemakers, CEOs, and government officials to embrace the circular transition. With an extensive consulting and coaching background across diverse cultural and economic contexts, Dr. Kierans brings a much-needed global perspective to our Board.
Prof. Nancy Bocken
Professor Nancy Bocken is a renowned academic and entrepreneur specialising in sustainable business and circular economy practices. She teaches at Maastricht University and co-founded HOMIE, a sustainable business venture. As a strategic sustainability advisor to various organisations, she bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application.
Sisse Norman Canguilhem
With 18 years of leadership in international policy, sustainability, and corporate affairs, Sisse Norman Canguilhem brings unmatched expertise in advancing global sustainable policies. A former Deputy Director of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she contributed to Denmark's international climate policy both bilaterally and at multilateral level at COP, the World Economic Forum and other high-profile events.
Dr. Marcus Gover
As an accomplished sustainability leader, Marcus Gover offers over two decades of board-level experience in both commercial and non-profit sectors. His expertise spans climate action, food systems, clothing, and plastic pollution. Now a consultant and non-executive director, Marcus brings exceptional strategic, commercial, and technical leadership to Circle Economy.
‘With the addition of four new Supervisory Board members, we aim to infuse our work with renewed energy. Their diverse international and interdisciplinary expertise will help ensure that the circular economy gains recognition at all levels —from academia to business to government. A heartfelt thank you and a warm welcome to these exceptional individuals joining our team!’ — Robert-Jan van Ogtrop, Founder of Circle Economy & Chairman of the Supervisory Board
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28th of November 2024, Amsterdam—The global textile industry, including fashion and home textiles, consumes 3.25 billion tonnes of resources each year to produce increasingly short-lived items. Only 0.3% of these materials come from recycled sources, primarily plastic bottles. The use of recycled textiles in production remains minimal, while oil-derived synthetic fibres like polyester are gaining ground, now accounting for 70% of the materials used to make our clothes.
These are the main findings from the newly released Circularity Gap Report Textiles by impact organisation Circle Economy and the H&M Foundation. The report calls for urgent action to diminish the industry’s environmental impact by embracing circular economy principles such as reuse, recycling, and slow fashion.
One of the primary barriers to circular textiles is the overproduction of cheap, low-quality, primarily synthetic garments, with mass-market brands now releasing up to 24 collections per year. The textile industry has become one of the biggest consumers of resources, leading to environmental damage worldwide. The report estimates that the sector contributes nearly 3.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to climate change, 5% to nutrient overload that disrupts marine and freshwater ecosystems, and accounts for 3.5% of water scarcity.
Two countries—China and the United States—play a significant role in these environmental impacts, with China being the largest textile producer and the US the largest consumer. Remarkably, the environmental impact per person in the US is five to eight times higher than the global average, driven by heavy textile consumption.
Hilde van Duijn, Managing Director of Circle Economy Foundation said that ‘The textile and fashion industry can considerably reduce its environmental footprint through circular practices. However, this transition will impact the livelihoods of the 140 million workers employed in textile supply chains. Ensuring a just transition for these workers should be a top priority for both governments and businesses.’
Embracing circular economy solutions across the textile value chain can help mitigate climate change and water scarcity, preserve biodiversity and human health and reduce air pollution, among other positive impacts. The report outlines strategies to triple the textile industry’s circularity and reduce its environmental impacts by up to 50%.
These strategies include boosting garment durability through the smart use of synthetic fibres while ramping up textile recycling. Producing natural fibres sustainably is crucial, as traditional farming methods for materials like cotton and wool can exacerbate environmental damage through excessive water, land, pesticide, and energy use. Ultimately, it finds that a circular textile industry is impossible without a dramatic cut in consumption. The average European today consumes a staggering 26 kilograms of textiles each year, and discards 12 kilograms. Embracing slow fashion, which favours quality over quantity, and supporting businesses in adopting rental or sharing models is key to reducing overproduction, while more efficient manufacturing methods can drastically reduce pre-consumer waste.
Christiane Dolva, Head of Innovation, Research & Demonstration at the H&M Foundation said that ‘We supported this report to provide the textile industry with actionable insights. The report highlights the most impactful circularity efforts. While not a complete solution, the circular economy is a powerful tool for driving meaningful change. We hope these insights will support industry-wide transformation, benefiting both people and the planet.’
Circle Economy has launched a Data Explorer for the Japanese city of Gamagori. Developed in collaboration with Harch Inc. and the city itself. This digital tool provides a visual overview and key insights into circular jobs in the city, along with recommendations to increase the circularity of its economy.
In late 2021, Gamagori committed to advancing the circular economy in order to enhance the well-being of its residents. To support this effort, Circle Economy mapped the city’s circular jobs, providing a starting point for creating more employment opportunities that will drive the circular transition forward.
The analysis found that 611 out of 35,918 jobs (1.7%) in Gamagori contribute to the circular economy, either directly or indirectly. About 1.1% of jobs are considered direct circular jobs, meaning they operate directly within the circular economy, such as roles in circular design, repair, renewable energy generation, and waste and resource management. Approximately 0.6% of jobs in Gamagori are indirect circular jobs, which provide crucial support for direct circular jobs—for example, by supplying spare parts for repairs.
The service sector accounts for the highest number of circular jobs, while utilities, despite being the smallest in terms of employment, show the highest proportion of circular jobs at 15.4%, primarily in water and waste management. Sectors such as medical care and welfare, transportation and postal services, accommodation and food services, construction, and manufacturing—though large employers—currently have low percentages of circular jobs but hold significant potential for growth.
To advance the circular economy, Gamagori could invest in education and reskilling programmes to help workers transition from linear to circular roles. The city could also incentivise job creation in high-potential sectors like manufacturing and services through measures such as tax deductions and wage subsidies. Additionally, the relatively low percentage of indirect circular jobs provides an opportunity to reshape city services to better promote the circular economy. Engaging sectors like finance, insurance and research could be key in developing and implementing new business models in the circular economy.
The Gamagori Data Explorer is a pilot project with the potential to expand to other cities across Japan and beyond.
Click here to access the Data Explorer and subscribe for updates on this product.
We are pleased to announce the release of ‘Circularity and Informality: Redefining Narratives’—a knowledge product resulting from a partnership between Ashoka, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs Network, with support from Circle Economy.
This white paper is designed to enhance understanding of the informal sector’s role within the circular economy—a group of actors that are often overlooked. Additionally, it aims to foster dialogue on how to empower informal workers and their collaborators, particularly social entrepreneurs, in advancing circular practices. It is based on the insights we recorded from a series of learning circles—generative conversations that involve genuine inquiry and sharing, leading to expanded understanding and shared meaning. They brought together social entrepreneurs, Ashoka Fellows, UNDP Labbers, and other stakeholders.
As the circular economy develops globally, the circles’ participants underscored the need to use it as a force to foster positive social change, including safeguarding and empowering informal workers. The participants also acknowledged the tensions and dilemmas that arise as we scale circular solutions in traditionally informal settings.
The white paper’s key findings include:
1. ‘Informality’ is a label imposed on workers, who regard their work as simply a way of life and means of livelihood rather than part of an ‘informal’ economy.
2. The stigma attached to informal labour can mean the significant economic and circular contributions these workers make are not properly recognised. It is important to respect the significance and identity of these workers.
3. Informal settings are rich with grassroots circular economy knowledge and ingenuity but often overshadowed by dominant views shaped by technology and theoretical frameworks.
4. Formalising informal employment in the circular economy can empower workers but it can also worsen their situation if not approached carefully. Therefore, there is an urgent need for nuanced and context-specific approaches when considering the formalisation or integration of the informal sector.
The partners view the white paper as a contribution to the rich discussions about informality in the circular economy and the dynamics within ecosystems of actors that need to be better understood as circular solutions are scaled. We invite all interested parties to engage actively in discussions on this topic. In addition to sparking conversations, our findings intend to inspire concrete actions to drive real change.
Learn more and download the white paper here.
About Ashoka
Ashoka is a global network of over 3800 social entrepreneurs in more than 95 countries, working towards an “Everyone a Changemaker” world. They identify and support social entrepreneurs who drive transformative solutions to societal and environmental issues, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable future.
About IKEA Social Entrepreneurship
IKEA Social Entrepreneurship is committed to creating a positive impact for people, society, and the planet through innovative solutions and partnerships. By supporting social entrepreneurs, they aim to address social and environmental challenges and drive positive change.
About UNDP Accelerator Labs
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs is the world’s largest and fastest learning network on wicked sustainable development challenges, containing 90 Labs and covering 114 countries worldwide.
About Circle Economy
Circle Economy is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032.
Widespread adoption of circular economy principles like reuse and recycling could reduce Ireland's carbon emissions by up to 32%, according to the Circularity Gap Report Ireland. The report analyses Ireland’s material consumption and carbon emissions profile and the potential for circular economy strategies to mitigate environmental impacts.
A robust evidence base is required to ensure that the targets selected for Ireland’s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy are appropriate. The Irish Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has commissioned this Circularity Gap analysis, conducted by impact organisation Circle Economy, to understand Ireland’s material and carbon footprint for key systems such as the bioeconomy, the built environment, and manufactured goods.
This report provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Ireland’s current national material flows and level of circularity based on a methodology that allows for international comparisons of Ireland’s performance relative to peer countries. Circularity Gap Reports establish a baseline circularity level for a local, regional or national economy. They provide insights into policy interventions to help boost circularity and provide the tools to monitor progress.
According to the study, Ireland’s residents consume 22 tonnes of raw materials per person per year, surpassing both the European average of 17 tonnes per capita and the estimated sustainable level of 8 tonnes per capita.
Rapid economic growth over the past years has led to a surge in material consumption in Ireland. This trend has put increasing pressure on ecosystems within the country and abroad, driving the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. For example, Ireland’s plastic waste generation has more than doubled in just ten years. Moreover, Ireland is one of the few EU countries where territorial emissions have only recently started to decline relative to 1990 levels.
The report outlines specific pathways to reduce material consumption by 29% and cut carbon emissions by 32%, while tripling the country’s circularity rate from 2.7% to 8.4%. For example, circular strategies in construction—such as building retrofitting, using bio-based materials and repurposing vacant spaces—could deliver a 12.6% reduction in material use and a 17.3% reduction in emissions. However, if business as usual continues, the sector’s carbon footprint is expected to increase fivefold by 2030. This makes construction a priority area for targeted policies.
With two-thirds of Ireland's land dedicated to agriculture and 11% to forestry, the bioeconomy has emerged as another priority sector for change. The report recommends accelerating the shift to sustainable and organic farming practices, sustainably increasing forest cover and addressing labour shortages and skills gaps in the sector.
Additional measures include boosting efficiency and industrial symbiosis in manufacturing, switching to cleaner mobility options like public transport bicycles and electric cars, and promoting a sustainable lifestyle based on buying fewer products and using them longer. These measures could reduce Ireland’s environmental impacts while maintaining the high living standards achieved over the past decades.
The 'Design for Transformation' (D4T) pilot project, led by Circle Economy and the Biomimicry Institute, has developed an innovative technology to produce bioplastics and gaseous products from textile waste. This set of technologies aims to enable companies to generate additional revenue streams from waste, whilst diverting it from landfills or incineration.
The project focuses on old clothing and other fabrics collected in Rotterdam that can’t be repaired. Such textile waste is often challenging to recycle because it consists of fabric blends, such as cotton and polyester. Sorting this mixed waste for recycling is often too expensive or technologically unfeasible. The D4T project addresses this challenge by developing a network of technologies capable of processing non-rewearable, unsorted, difficult-to-recycle textile waste.
Through a series of innovative processes, researchers have successfully converted mixed textile waste into biodegradable polymers and synthesis gas (syngas)—valuable feedstocks with potential applications across multiple industries.
In the pilot's first phase, the biotech start-up BioFashionTech used their novel enzymatic process to break down cellulose (such as cotton and viscose) in textile waste into glucose.
The research company EV Biotech used this glucose to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a biodegradable polymer that could replace conventional plastics in various applications. Remarkably, the quality of the textile-derived glucose was comparable to or even better than conventional glucose.
As a final step, the applied research institution TNO processed the remaining non-cellulosic fibres, such as polyester and nylon, into syngas through a thermochemical gasification process. Syngas has many potential uses, primarily in the chemical industry—one of the leading industries in the Netherlands.
The pilot's successful results suggest a promising future for these technologies, which have the potential to be scaled and implemented in other Dutch cities. Additionally, the project highlights how this process could reduce reliance on glucose derived from food crops, contributing to more sustainable production methods.
Learn more about the project and its results.
The Circularity Gap Report Quebec*, published by Circle Economy in 2021, has gained a new deep-dive chapter exploring how the circular economy can be a means to stay within planetary boundaries. This analysis applies six circular scenarios to the Québecois economy to uncover their effect on climate change, marine and soil health, water resources, and pollution, showcasing how the circular economy can comprehensively tackle environmental problems.
The extension chapter examines the combined effect of the scenarios from the Circularity Gap Report Quebec on climate change, freshwater use, land use change for cropland, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, and particulate matter formation. This analysis draws from and adapts the Planetary Boundaries framework**—which considers the Earth system as a whole—in order to tailor the analysis to Québec, one of Canada’s ten provinces.
It found that the circular scenarios have an all-round positive effect: combined, they could bring climate change and marine eutrophication closer to a safe operating space, while bringing freshwater use well within the safe operating space. The other three impacts, which have not yet surpassed safe limits, could be further reduced to benefit the province.
The new chapter of the Circularity Gap Report Quebec demonstrates why policymakers should consider circular economy strategies as a cross-cutting solution to achieve multiple impact goals. Businesses and industries can also consider circular solutions to both improve resource efficiency or create new business models as well as reduce environmental impacts and contribute to net-zero targets. This report’s methodology also provides a starting point for academics to fine-tune and expand upon. For the circular economy to thrive in Québec, all stakeholders must join hands to spur systemic change.
* Read the Circularity Gap Report Quebec with the new chapter here
** Learn more about the Planetary Boundaries Framework here
Final results released today by C40 Co-Chair and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at London Climate Action Week show a first-of-its-kind analysis of green jobs in our global megacities, demonstrating the positive payoff of investing in climate action at a city level.
The research conducted by C40 and the Circle Economy shows that some of the highest-performing industries include public transport, waste, electricity and construction, where local governments play a key role in supporting regulation, standards, and cooperation with industry. For example, nearly 30% of the jobs in the electricity and transport sectors are currently green, and 25% in the buildings and construction sectors.
The catalyst for this research began in 2022 at the World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires, when C40 Co-Chair and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, urged C40 Mayors to drive the creation of 50 million good, green jobs by 2030 across the world’s megacities, in partnership with key stakeholders including all levels of government, business and unions for a just transition – protecting livelihoods whilst maximising economic prosperity.
Following this bold announcement, this global analysis estimates that nearly 16 million jobs already support the transition to a green economy across the 74 cities studied. This includes direct and indirect green jobs in cities across Global North and Global South cities.
For example, in London a Skills Centre designed a Rainscreen Cladding Skills Bootcamp with construction employers to improve energy efficiency and building safety, achieving about 96% job conversion, and has introduced new modules with £11.3 million in funding to support green skills for the city’s net zero goal by 2030.
C40 Co-Chair and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m proud that we are on our way toward achieving our goal of 50 million good, green jobs by 2030, with 16 million jobs already supporting the transition to a green economy across 74 cities worldwide.
“London continues to lead the way when it comes to climate action and our commitment to green jobs proves that the path to prosperity is also the path to sustainability. Together, we can achieve far more than any of us could alone and I look forward to continuing to inspire and drive us forward to a fairer, greener future for everyone.”
In São Paulo, the city is expected to create at least over 10,000 jobs by dramatically expanding its green space to create a series of protected forests and public parks. By the time it is complete, the total area of public green space will be the size of Paris. Thousands of residents will get access to green spaces for the first time and it will also help to reduce flood risk, a climate impact that has severely affected Brazil recently.
Mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, said: “Brazil has been very badly impacted by climate change this year and we know that delaying climate action only means that more people will suffer. We also know that more jobs can be created through climate action than through business as usual, whilst creating healthier and more sustainable cities and economies. That is why São Paulo, through actions such as Sampa + Rural, is promoting thousands of green jobs. This research shows how there are already more than 400,000 direct and indirect green jobs in the city, and we will continue working to increase that number through innovative and ambitious new programmes and policies.”
In Accra, a municipal waste source separation and compost project involves the community and informal waste sector. Over 850 informal waste collectors, including migrants, are engaged in collecting and separating waste. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions by diverting organic waste from landfills and increases waste collection coverage. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly supports cooperatives, implements a social insurance scheme, and offers capacity-building programs to improve the quality of life and jobs for informal waste workers, ensuring a just transition.
Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Sackey, said: “This global analysis, which shows the social and economic potential of climate action, is very important for cities in the current context. The city of Accra is committed to addressing climate action and creating local jobs together, and ensuring the working conditions of all workers, including informal workers, are improved.
“This is why, as we have been implementing citywide municipal solid waste separation programs in the past years, and are starting to work on the transport transition, we have been working closely with informal waste sector workers (including migrant workers) and initiated consultations with informal transport workers to ensure their jobs are protected and valued. They play a key role in the green economy and in creating healthier communities and should be engaged in the transition.”
In Vancouver, the Vancouver Green City Action Plan called for doubling the number of green and local food jobs, and for doubling the number of businesses greening their operations, both as part of an adopted plan to see Vancouver become the greenest city in the world by 2020. In total, over 15,000 new green and local food jobs were added to the city over the last ten years, an increase of 87% since 2010. Since 2020, the Green City Action Plan continues to engage residents on a broader environmental plan.
Melina Scholefield, Executive Director of the Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre, said: “The Vancouver region’s collective efforts on climate change over many decades have built an incredible foundation for our burgeoning clean economy to take shape. In particular, our emphasis on building decarbonisation policy and practice means that we not only are building some of the highest efficiency, healthy, and resilient buildings on the continent, cost-effectively, but we are also driving the creation of green jobs in a well-skilled, innovative sector that is pushing to ever-higher heights. It is validating that this new research provides evidence of how this sector is greening globally and locally within the region and the evident potential that exists to go further.”
C40 Executive Director, Mark Watts, said: “Today’s announcement highlights how city climate action benefits people here and now. With 16 million green jobs already created across 74 cities – and many more to come – mayors are creating opportunities for people across diverse sectors, from home insulation and clean transport to parks and river regeneration projects. Cities are leading by showing how city climate action not only cuts emissions and builds resilience, but also makes people better off.”
These results signal multiple things, firstly, that there is enormous potential for these and other key urban programmes to continue to grow, with the right climate investment and support from national and local governments.
Second, there is a clear indication that green investments are boosting demand for materials and inputs, thus increasing jobs in supplier industries. For example, C40 analysis has shown that green and just recovery scenarios could create, on average, three times more jobs than those created through high-carbon scenarios.
But most importantly mayors are on track to deliver good green jobs for their residents. However, there is still a long way to go to ensure that just transition policies and green jobs creation programmes are implemented to help cities fulfil their leadership potential and ensure that all residents benefit from and are included in the climate transition, with the IPCC confirming these are critical for the success of climate action. These new findings show that cities are leading the way in the creation of good green jobs, by joining forces with youth, unions, and businesses and responding directly to the core concerns of urban residents.
Climate action presents an unprecedented opportunity for a more inclusive economy, as sectors with the greatest potential for transformation e.g. construction and manufacturing offer both high rates of job potential to retain existing workforces and are historically unequally distributed across population groups. These actions combined with the growing demand for green jobs to support decent working conditions, the supply of a green and diverse labour force, and ramping up workforce development efforts that address shortages will make opportunities accessible to all.
CEO of Circle Economy, Ivonne Bojoh, said: “Cities are hubs of innovation, jobs and skills and so it has been our long-term mission to provide local decision-makers with data on where best they can take climate action. We are thrilled that our collaboration with the C40 cities has allowed us to apply what we have learned from our longstanding circular jobs methodology to measuring green in 74 cities worldwide.
“These results highlight a high concentration of green jobs in the repair sector across all global regions, showing that jobs sustaining and prolonging the lifetime of goods have a key role in promoting good, decent employment in cities. Although the total number of green jobs is impressive, there is still significant potential to create more, especially in the tertiary sectors of the economy that are crucial for cities, such as accommodation, retail, and transportation. We are happy to have collaborated on a set of resources that show how cities can support the growth of green, decent jobs.”
Download the full report here
