Today we added data on circular jobs in 148 cities from across 30 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas to the Circular Jobs Monitor. This includes cities from Quito (Ecuador), to Kampala (Uganda), to London (the UK). We hope this evidence will empower local decision makers, providing them with insights into the relationship between the circular economy and the labour market. It can be used to design evidence-based strategies and policies, based on which sectors have the most ongoing circular activity and potential.
This is the first time that data on employment generated in cities engaging in circular economy activities has been made available. This evidence can be used alongside other social, economic and environmental metrics to help cities build back better and chart a course towards a more sustainable future for their people and the planet.
Circle Economy and UNEP originally joined forces in 2019 to come together on an approach for measuring employment in the circular economy. You can now explore data on circular jobs in over 100 cities analysed using Circle Economy and UNEP's joint methodology. These insights are housed on the Circular Jobs Monitor, a digital tool that maps jobs that drive circular activities.
In the next phase of our work together, Circle Economy and UNEP are developing city typologies. By clustering cities, we aim to fill data gaps and develop transition pathways for groups of similar cities that can be used to share learnings and co-design transformative policies and strategies.
With the circular economy we have an opportunity to shift towards a world where people’s needs are met while being in harmony with nature. We still live in a take-make-waste world where we put pressure on people and our planet, and it is in our cities that these impacts are felt the most. To combat inequality and tackle resource scarcity, cities need to embrace change and ways to provide decent jobs for its people. Governments can no longer afford to continue with ‘business as usual’. We need solutions.
Do you want to know how many circular jobs there are in your city?
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