How can circular lifestyles become part of everyday routines at home? In our CARE project, together with partners, we are developing the Circular Academy and the CARE Toolbox, including creative formats such as a fashion magazine and a cookbook to mobilise action, not just raise awareness.

At a CARE meeting held in March 2026 in Helsingborg, Sweden research organisations, civil society actors, and municipalities from across Europe came reflected on their work with households and explored ways to transform these insights into practical tools that organisations across Europe can use to support circular living.

The CARE project explores how everyday practices such as food management and clothing care can become more circular and climate-friendly. Across several European countries, project partners are currently working directly with households through advisory services and pilot activities that aim to support more sustainable daily routines.

Understanding everyday practices in households

Partners exchanged insights on how households respond to advisory formats, what motivates behavioural change and which challenges arise when integrating circular practices into everyday life.

Turning insights into practical tools

Taking a holistic and creative approach, the project is translating the insights from these pilot activities into formats that can support organisations working with households, such as civil society organisations (CSOs), municipalities and advisory services, beyond the project.

Katrin Hüttepohl, Communication Manager at the CSCP, notes: “Our goal is not only to communicate results, but to translate them into formats that organisations can actually use in their work with households. Storytelling formats such as the cookbook and the fashion magazine make project insights tangible by combining practical guidance with real-life experiences from the pilots.”

Building capacity for circular living

The Circular Academy, which is currently being developed, will provide learning opportunities and resources for organisations interested in promoting circular living.

Jannik Schüürmann, Project Manager at the CSCP, explains: “With the Circular Academy, we want to make CARE’s results accessible to organisations working with households across Europe. Through short online modules, participants will learn about the project’s practical tools and benefit from the experiences of the circular clothing and food waste pilots to  support circular lifestyles in practice”

Through these activities, the CARE project aims to make the generated knowledge usable and impactful beyond its lifecycle.

Follow along and stay in touch with the CARE project, follow the project activities on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

The CSCP is the CARE lead partner on communication, dissemination, and capacity-building.

For further questions, please contact Katrin Hüttepohl.

How can cities move from individual circular economy efforts to systemic change? In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a new initiative is taking this question head-on. With the launch of the Community of Practice (CoP) Circular Cities NRW, a state-wide platform will connect key actors and turn shared ambition into collective action.

Funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Nature and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the CoP Circular Cities NRW builds on the strong momentum of the thematic working group on circular cities, initiated and co-led since 2024 by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia together with the CSCP.

What started as a space for exchange quickly revealed a growing need: stakeholders were looking for more continuity, deeper collaboration, and practical formats to move from ideas to implementation.

The new Community of Practice responds to this demand by bringing together municipalities, businesses, research institutions, and civil society from across the state.

Its goal, simple but ambitious: to make existing circular solutions more visible, enable peer exchange, and scale what works.

Rather than relying on one-off meetings, the CoP offers a stable space for collaboration. A digital platform will support continuous exchange and shared learning, while in-person workshops, thematic working groups, and hands-on formats such as field trips or “lessons learned” sessions will bring participants together to tackle real challenges and co-develop solutions.

At the heart of the initiative lies a shift from dialogue to action. Participants will work together in thematic groups on topics such as circular procurement, governance approaches, or citizen engagement—turning their experiences into practical outputs that can be applied and adapted by others.

By linking these efforts to national and European initiatives, the CoP also opens up new opportunities for visibility and mutual learning beyond North Rhine-Westphalia, strengthening the region’s role as an emerging frontrunner in circular city development.

The official kick-off will take place on 30 April 2026. Stakeholders from municipalities, businesses, research, and civil society are invited to join and help shape the future of circular cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.

To join the kick-off and for follow up questions, please contact Dr. Shirin Betzler.

After nearly a year of intensive exchange and collaboration, the Community of Practice (CoP) of municipal waste companies has successfully concluded. Running from May 2025 to March 2026 as part of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) Communities of Practice, the group brought together experts from municipal waste companies and waste management representatives from cities and regions from across Europe to explore how municipal waste companies (MWCs) can unlock circularity at the local level.

MWCs are uniquely positioned at the interface between citizens, municipalities, and material flows. Building on this role, the Community of Practice focused on how they can evolve beyond traditional waste collection towards becoming strategic resource managers that actively enable local circular economies. It included participants from Turku (FI), Tampere (FI), Horsholm (DK), Skanderborg (DK), Geel (BE), Alcoi (ES), Castilla y Leon (ES), Valencia (ES), Izmir (TUR), Jerusalem (ISR).

Throughout the CoP, participants engaged in peer learning, sharing experiences and co-developing solutions to common challenges. The sessions created a trusted space for open exchange—grounded in practical realities and driven by the ambition to scale circular approaches across cities.

Discussions throughout the CoP highlighted that the transition towards circular municipal systems does not solely rely on technological fixes, but rather on governance, incentives, and collaboration.

Engaging citizens and creating transparent incentive structures emerged as essential to improving material quality and reducing costs. At the same time, clear sorting rules and consistent implementation were seen as critical enablers of effective systems.

Strengthening cooperation between municipal waste companies and producer responsibility organisations further supports more coherent and impactful Extended Producer Responsibility schemes.

Overall, the CoP underscored a broader shift: municipal waste companies are increasingly taking on the role of coordinators and facilitators of local circular ecosystems, enabling reuse, repair, and more efficient resource management.

To maintain momentum, the group agreed on a follow-up exchange within six months to assess how implementation efforts have progressed in their respective cities. The knowledge generated as part of the CoP, the connections built, and the practical insights shared will support participants in advancing circular initiatives within their cities and regions, driving future impact in regions and cities.

The CCRI CoP project runs until the end of 2026, with a second batch of Communities of Practice covering topics from circular water management to social impact. The role of the CSCP in the project is establishing a structured and scalable framework for all the CoPs and supporting their implementation.

For further questions and to engage with us, please contact Dr. Shirin Betzler.

Recent years have shown how quickly assumptions can be overturned: from the return of global pandemics to war on European soil to sudden shifts in geopolitical alliances. In parallel, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly more visible, with extreme weather events intensifying, sea levels rising, and ecosystems facing unprecedented stress.

These challenges and uncertainties impact people, businesses, and institutions. So, how are we supposed to navigate through this maze of a crisis? A starting point is through strengthening our resilience.

Resilience takes many forms, from individual mental strength and business continuity to the ability of supply chains to withstand disruptions and overall security. It’s about acknowledging and understanding challenges and the confidence and ability to act effectively when needed.

Circular economy to mitigate geopolitical limbo

Resilience does not operate in isolation—it is deeply intertwined with sustainability, biodiversity, and how we organise our economies.

The circular economy illustrates this well. By keeping valuable materials in circulation, businesses—particularly those reliant on critical minerals, rare earths, or metals—can achieve a meaningful degree of self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on fragile global supply chains. Likewise, the transition to renewable energy strengthens independence from geopolitical uncertainty.

Where biodiversity meets resilience

Sustainability and biodiversity agendas also increasingly overlap with this risk logic, not only because ecosystems and their services shape exposure and vulnerability, but also since “working with nature” can deliver measurable co-benefits for natural disaster risk reduction and adaptation. This is not merely an environmental argument: biodiversity has found its way into National Security and Defence Strategies, where it is categorised as a systemic risk capable of triggering a whole web of threats—from the loss of raw materials to outright conflict over resources.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services are now treated as material to human well-being and policy choices in major science–policy syntheses. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment, for example, positions nature’s contributions as a decision-relevant knowledge base rather than only a conservation concern. In disaster risk reduction, this becomes concrete through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based approaches: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) documents that NbS can provide multifaceted benefits, including biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation/adaptation, and enhanced disaster resilience, and links this “working with nature” logic to implementing the UNDRR Sendai agreement on disaster risk reduction alongside other global frameworks.

Resilience and preparedness as key factors for business continuity

On the business side, continuity planning institutionalises resilience by turning disruption into a managed operating condition, which is why ISO 22301 is framed as a security-and-resilience standard for business continuity management systems. Companies rely on public infrastructure and public services, while governments and communities rely on private operators for critical functions, requiring coordination and cooperation of public services, military, emergency service organisations and communities.

Business continuity also depends on social stability—when employees cannot perform their duties because they are torn between navigating imminent threat and having to provide for their families, companies begin to falter. This, in turn, can lead to further instability, and the system enters a vicious cycle.

Resilience requires systems thinking

When resilience is treated as a system property (not as the mandate of a single agent), investments that improve the continuity of essential functions—whether through infrastructure design, governance arrangements, or ecosystem restoration—can simultaneously strengthen security, civil protection, and societal resilience and preparedness. In times of crises, it is crucial to work hand in hand—this requires trust and trained routines.

We’re in it together, and that is how we become resilient

Resilience is strongest when actors jointly reduce exposure and vulnerability while strengthening response and recovery capacity.

At the CSCP we have been thinking systems for 20 years. Working with diverse stakeholders, including those who start at very different positions, has become one of our unique strengths. This is an essential setting for achieving resilience: building bridges that help people, no matter their perspective, come together to find solutions that benefit all.

Would you like to engage with us on enabling resilient societies? Reach out to Dr. Esther Heidbüchel to start the conversation!

Jannik Schüürmann’s expertise spans neuroscience, applied psychology, and business information systems. He has joined the CSCP as a Project Manager, with a focus on designing and implementing behaviour change interventions that promote sustainable practices.

In this interview, he talks about the moments and experiences that shaped his career and life, and discusses the motivations that drive his work today.

Thinking back, what defined the first years of your career path?

Sustainability wasn’t always the conscious driver in my life, at least not at first. My early curiosity was much more “hands-on”: as a teenager, I took computers apart, compared components, and helped people in online forums put together the right setup. That interest naturally led me to study Business Information Systems. And honestly, it was also driven by where I come from: I grew up in a working-class environment, and choosing a path that I thought promised stability and a secure future mattered to me.

How did your interest evolve from technology to people?

My focus shifted over time. I was still fascinated by technology, but less by the hardware itself and more by the people it is built for. I found myself increasingly drawn to questions like: Why do people decide the way they do? What shapes behaviour in everyday life? What makes change feel possible for some and overwhelming for others? In consulting, I gradually moved away from IT topics and toward the “human side” of transformation. A particularly formative step was working at the neuroscience institute, where I got a close look at how strongly our decisions are influenced by context, emotions, and basic psychological needs. It made me realise how surprisingly simple we humans often are, much more driven by instincts and basic needs than we like to admit.

Was there a moment that clarified your direction toward sustainability?

Yes, the biggest shift happened after the Coronavirus pandemic. That period created space to pause and ask uncomfortable but important questions: What does the world actually need right now? Where can I contribute in a way that feels meaningful? At the same time, climate change and sustainability moved even more into the public spotlight – not just as another topic, but as the existential condition for humanity’s future. For me, that mix created clarity and momentum: this is the arena where I want to invest my energy.

How do these experiences shape the work you do now?

Today, I’m bringing these threads together in my research. I’m interested in how basic psychological needs influence sustainable attitudes and behavior, and how sustainability can become a relevant factor in daily decision-making processes. Not only something people agree with on paper. The question I keep coming back to is simple: how do we make sustainability part of real decisions, including the ones we make quickly, automatically, and without much reflection?

Where do you see the biggest emerging challenges for sustainability right now?

One area that feels nowadays especially important is the influence of AI on decision-making. Tools such as large language models and, increasingly, AI agents, are becoming everyday companions. They shape what information we see, the way we perceive problems, and which options feel reasonable. That influence is massive, and it comes with responsibility. What worries me is the broader direction we’re seeing globally: rising autocratic tendencies, and the growing power of tech oligarchies over public discourse and decision spaces. From a European perspective, this raises a very practical question: how do we find a way forward that protects European values as of democracy, human dignity and accountability, while we integrate AI into daily life?

So, how do we?

For me, this is where sustainability, psychology, and AI come together in a very concrete way. If AI increasingly co-pilots our choices, then sustainability cannot be an afterthought. It needs to be built into how systems support decision-making – so that we can work, collectively and responsibly, toward a good life within planetary boundaries. I advocate a human-centered approach to sustainability. This approach takes psychology seriously, acknowledges how people really behave and uses this knowledge to guide the transformation to a good life for all.

For further questions, please contact Jannik Schüürmann directly.

Few things have the power to connect people like food does. At the Flavours of Change Cup kick-off in Verona, Italy project partners came together to shape a competition that empowers migrants, celebrates cultural culinary heritage, and advances sustainable food practices—showing how kitchens can be a catalyst for positive social and environmental change.

Across Europe, migrant communities bring rich culinary knowledge rooted in sustainable, resource-conscious traditions—but these skills are often overlooked, even as the hospitality sector struggles with staff shortages and sustainable food practices are urgently needed.

Drawing on our successful KochCup project, the Flavours of Change Cup (ChangeCup) project aims to turn this challenge into an opportunity, using cooking to empower migrants, promote inclusion, and support sustainable food and cultural exchange.

At the kick-off meeting, the CSCP led a co-creation workshop where partners from Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany shared experiences from local cooking practices and migrant initiatives. Through hands-on exercises, they jointly defined the competition framework—including many valuable learnings from the KochCup project on how to integrate sustainability and create an inclusive and oriented atmosphere.

“Together with the partners, we now have a shared framework that truly reflects our values of inclusion and sustainability. The competition format has previously worked very well to engage people and bring them together around common goals. I am sure that the Flavours of Change Cup will be another inspiring experience for everyone involved.”, says Jennifer Wiegard, CSCP Project Manager.

Looking ahead, in autumn 2026, regional pre-competitions will take place in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany, with the top three candidates from each country advancing to the final tournament, which will be held in Germany in 2027.

Alongside the competitions, participants will take part in workshops and learning activities focused on sustainable nutrition and professional entry into the culinary sector. The project will culminate in a recipe book featuring inspiring participant stories and innovative, sustainable recipes.

Through CSCP’s facilitation tools and the partners’ expertise, the Flavours of Change Cup combines social impact, professional empowerment, and ecological awareness, creating a unique platform where culinary talent, cultural diversity and sustainability meet.

For further questions, please contact Jennifer Wiegard.

Current sustainability and climate adaptation policies in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in Germany are already considering low-income groups to a certain degree. A comprehensive study carried out in our Climate & Poverty project identifies further improvements in both fields. The results of the study are validated by a council of topic experts as well as people affected by poverty.

Sustainability is often seen only through an environmental lens. At the CSCP, we view it as encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

The social dimension can be approached from the perspective of the quality of life: are basic needs meet, how are social justice, equality, and social cohesion promoted and advanced, and do people have access to opportunities for well-being and participation in society?

With this in mind, we conducted an analysis of the sustainability strategy as well as the climate adaptation strategy of North Rhine-Westphalia. The aim? To identify potentials for poverty alleviation and risks for poverty intensification as well as develop subsequent recommendations for actions in eight cluster topics.

Our study shows that both strategies are already considering the needs of poverty affected people. However, there are blind spots in terms of unintended side effects and topics that have not been considered so far. A cross-cutting key learning is that policies should not only consider poverty affected people but also low-income groups that are above the poverty threshold but are at risk to be affected by poverty in the future. This inclusiveness is important to increase the acceptance of political decisions and avoid a distinction and rivalry between these two groups in society.

Here’s a summary of the key findings of the study:

Energy & Housing

Programmes against energy poverty and climate adaptation retrofitting in subsidised housing have the potential to reduce poverty. However, both strategies do not address potentially increasing rents due to retrofitting measures and due to gentrification in neighbourhoods with improved green infrastructure. A key recommendation is the creation of affordable housing with high energy standards.

Income and Social Subsidies

No specific measures are listed for this field but the NRW Sustainability Strategy explains the relation between low income and interrupted work biographies and old-age poverty, which mostly affect women and people with migration background. Recommendations include the extension of collective bargaining coverage to relevant sectors, compliance with collective agreements to municipalities, and adjusting basic social security to sustainable living.

Education

The biggest challenge in this field is linked to inequalities in the educational system, which is a key driver for poverty. The study calls for action on reducing youth unemployment by promoting education, especially in structurally weak areas with a focus on the transition from school to training.

Employment & Economy

Missing the re-skilling of employers in transition related job loss is not considered in the strategies and might intensify poverty. A key recommendation is to boost the employment rate among women and low-skilled workers through better childcare and qualification initiatives.

The study covers many other topics, including health, mobility, nutrition, and participation. You can download the full document and its recommendations here or visit the systems map here.

A guideline on how to read the map can be found here.

The findings of the study and its recommendations were validated in dedicated workshops held together with experts and poverty affected people in Cologne and Wuppertal, with the support of our project partners Zug um Zug and Nachbarschaftsheim in Wuppertal.

For further questions, please contact Alexandra Kessler.

Regina Fernández has lived in China, Irland, Taiwan, and numerous European countries. She deeply believes that understanding cultural differences is a key success factor in sustainability work and applies this principle in all her projects. Get to know her better in her own words!

Regina, can you start by telling us what sparked your passion for sustainability?

For me, the spark came from the need to improve the way we live—without overstepping planetary boundaries. I’ve always been curious about how different societies approach challenges, which is why I pursued an international path early in my career.

This international path, what was it like?

Well, while studying economics for my bachelor’s and master’s, I decided to learn Chinese and participated in exchanges in China, Ireland, and Taiwan. Since then, I’ve lived and worked across Europe and Asia. Those experiences taught me that there’s never a single perspective. Understanding cultural differences is key to working effectively, especially when collaborating with diverse stakeholders.

You started out in international business—how did sustainability come into the picture?

True, I started in international business, mainly in textiles and food industries linking Europe and China. But over time, I realised I wanted to apply business skills toward solving bigger global challenges. So, I completed a specialised masters in Zurich, Switzerland focused on sustainable business models. That opened the door for me to integrate sustainability into practical solutions, like improving resource efficiency in factories or co-creating circular economy projects with measurable impact.

What made the CSCP the right place for your next step?

The CSCP offered the perfect intersection between local action and international experience. Here, I can connect different stakeholders, foster innovation ecosystems, and manage multi-stakeholder sustainability initiatives. It’s about translating evidence into practice and inspiring long-term behavioural change. 

Can you give us some examples of the work you’re doing now?

Definitely. I’m involved in EU-funded projects tackling food waste and transforming food systems, such as Chorizo and Breadcrumb. These projects challenge social norms and reshape how people see “imperfect” products. They combine awareness campaigns, citizen engagement, and co-creation, ensuring the shift toward sustainable consumption is inclusive.

What other areas are you exploring?

Sustainable tourism is another area close to my heart. Traveling and experiencing different cities showed me the potential of community-led approaches. Now, through the Verne project, we’re exploring how tourism can be local, circular, climate-friendly, and accessible.

What has been your favourite project so far?

One standout is creating a collaborative circular economy directory. Together with experts and AI support, we’re mapping achievements, identifying gaps, and providing evidence-based insights to accelerate sustainable transformation. It’s exciting to see digitalisation and new tech supporting a practical, real-world shift.

Looking back at your journey, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

That diverse perspectives are a superpower. Whether it’s cultural differences, stakeholder viewpoints, or new technologies, combining them thoughtfully allows us to co-create solutions that are more resilient, inclusive, and impactful. Sustainability isn’t just about processes or products—it’s about people and collaboration.

For further questions, please contact Regina Fernández.

How can organisations turn sustainability ambitions into real transformation? And how can individuals become effective change agents within their organisations and communities? To support you on this journey, the co-do lab will host a new round of its immersive, nature-based learning programme Hello Transformation in 2026. Join one of the upcoming information sessions to learn more & become part of the next Hello Transformation round!

A Nature-Based Learning Experience for Future Transformation Leaders

Hello Transformation is a four-day nature-based learning experience designed for those who want to actively shape sustainable transformation in their organisations and beyond. The programme combines expert insights on sustainability topics with hands-on experiences in nature, creating space for reflection, experimentation and collaboration.

Hosted in the inspiring setting of Gut Einern in Wuppertal, Germany the programme brings together professionals from different sectors who want to move from intention to action in sustainability transformation. Through interactive workshops, outdoor coaching methods and peer exchange, participants explore key topics such as biodiversity, climate change, circular economy and organisational transformation.

At the same time, the programme focuses on personal and leadership development aligned with the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), helping participants strengthen their abilities to think systemically, collaborate across boundaries and lead change from within their organisations.

What You Can Expect

Over four workshop days, you will:

• Gain practical insights into sustainability challenges and transformation strategies
• Experience nature-based learning and outdoor coaching methods
• Develop personal leadership skills for sustainable transformation
• Connect with a network of like-minded transformation pioneers

The programme is designed to combine knowledge, experience and action, enabling participants to translate insights into concrete steps for their organisations. 

Programme Dates

The next round of Hello Transformation will take place on 1 & 2 July 2026 and 9 & 10 September 2026. All four programme days will be hosted at Gut Einern in Wuppertal.

Learn More and Register

Interested participants are invited to join one of the upcoming online information sessions to learn more about the programme, ask questions, and meet the co-do lab team.

Upcoming sessions include:

20 March 2026 | 09:00–10:00 CET
24 April 2026 | 09:00–10:00 CET
20 May 2026 | 16:00–17:00 CET

To register for the info sessions and find out more about the programme and upcoming info calls here.

We look forward to welcoming the next group of transformation leaders in 2026!

For further questions, please contact Stephan Schaller.

North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) is currently updating its sustainability strategy. Building on this momentum, around 20 civil society organisations, including the CSCP, have issued an open statement on the draft strategy, highlighting priorities and perspectives from across the region.

The organisations, which operate under the umbrella of the Sustainability Forum NRW (Fachforum Nachhaltigkeit NRW), coordinated by LAG 21, have praised NRW’s work on this topic, but urge for stronger commitments on implementation.

The updated strategy has ambitious goals: it is designed as a comprehensive framework to guide NRW toward an interdisciplinary, cross-departmental, and sustainable future. Over the past several years, the Sustainability Forum NRW has closely accompanied the update process. In November 2023, the alliance submitted ten key recommendations focused on strengthening the strategy’s binding force, effectiveness, and practical implementation.

With the new draft version on the table, the forum has reviewed whether those demands have been addressed.

The verdict? A mix of encouragement and caution.

According to the statement, the new draft sends “many positive signals” and presents compelling long-term visions. A clearer structure, defined transformation areas, and identified leverage points are seen as major improvements. The expanded and refined system of goals and indicators also marks tangible progress. Even the redesigned layout has enhanced readability.

However, the organisations warn that critical aspects of implementation remain vague. The draft, they argue, lacks clearly defined measures, binding commitments, responsible institutions, and timelines. Without these, the strategy risks remaining aspirational rather than actionable.

The CSCP pointed out the lack of strategies for considering and involving vulnerable groups such as low-income groups or people with a migrant background.

The forum’s core message is clear: the strategy should move from knowledge to action, from paper to practice.

The full statement, highlighting both positive aspects as well as proposed improvements, is now available for download.

For further questions, please contact Alexandra Kessler.