With the National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS), German policymakers have laid important foundations for sustainable procurement. But how can this be successfully translated into practice? The CO₂ Performance Ladder is designed to support procurement departments to achieve emission reductions and integrate sustainability into procurement processes.
In 2023 the German government adopted the National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS), a decisive step toward promoting sustainability and circularity. The NKWS emphasises the role of public procurement as a key lever for fostering circular economy principles. At the same time, work is underway to amend the German public procurement law, which is part of the Transformation Procurement Package (Transformationsvergabepaket). Both initiatives provide important impulses, but the challenge remains: How can these ambitious goals be implemented promptly and effectively?
The Transformation Procurement Package: A Step Toward Sustainable Procurement?
The amendment of the procurement law, embedded in the Transformation Package aims to make public tenders more transparent, efficient, and future-oriented. The goal is to better integrate sustainability aspects and clarify the legal framework for sustainable procurement. However, it remains unclear when and how these measures will be implemented – particularly in light of the upcoming German federal elections in February 2025.
With an annual procurement volume of around 500 billion euros, Germany has the opportunity to achieve significant climate and resource conservation impacts through sustainable public procurement. Yet, this potential remains largely untapped. Studies, such as those by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, show that sustainable criteria are applied in only about 24% of procurement offices. Often, there is a lack of clear guidelines, suitable tools, and the necessary capacities to systematically consider environmental and social criteria. Municipalities, in particular, face significant challenges. They are responsible for numerous procurement decisions but often lack the resources or specific expertise to consistently integrate sustainability aspects.
From Strategy to Practice: The Road Ahead Municipalities play a key role in implementing sustainable procurement and are important partners in achieving national climate goals. However, the path to sustainable procurement practices requires significant adjustments:
How the CSCP is Offering Practical Support to Municipalities and Procurement Offices
The CSCP addresses these challenges by offering practical approaches through frameworks and tools such as the CO₂ Performance Ladder. Developed by the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), the instrument has empowered organisations across Europe to manage and reduce their carbon footprint while gaining competitive advantages in public procurement processes. A key advantage of the Ladder is its dual function: While it assists procurement offices in evaluating tenders, it also provides clear benefits to companies in CO₂-intensive industries as an effective CO₂ management system. As such, it helps organisations reduce emissions while simultaneously improving their competitiveness through process optimisation and resource efficiency. This will also lead to procuring authorities purchasing more circular products and services as these are usually linked to lower life cycle emissions.
At the same time, the CSCP promotes knowledge exchange between cities through the recently launched “CCRI Communities of Practice” project. The goal of this project is to bridge gaps in peer-to-peer exchange by establishing dedicated Communities of Practice (CoP). These CoPs foster systematic collaboration between cities and thus contribute to circular transformation. More on circular economy in cities and related projects can be found in the article “Driving Circular Transformation through Cities”.
The interest in such practical solutions was reaffirmed during a webinar on held in December 2025. Feedback from participants highlighted a clear demand for support in implementing sustainable procurement operationally.
Outlook: Pilot Projects and Collaborative Learning
By March 2025, the CSCP plans to implement a pilot project with selected municipalities and organisations in Germany. The goal is to create tangible examples of sustainable procurement and transfer the principles of the Transformation Procurement Package into practice. The path has been charted – now it’s time to bring political frameworks to life. Join us!
For further information, please feel free to contact us at co2pl@cscp.org.
For further questions, please contact Mike Tabel.
Photo © Loet Koreman.
The Circular Economy is widely regarded as a key driver for achieving sustainable transformation. As demographic and economic centres, cities can act as catalysts for the circular transition. However, there are still gaps in recognising the role of cities in achieving large-scale impact and leveraging urban resources and infrastructure to enable shorter supply chains, reduce emissions and waste, and increase employment rates. On the other hand, cities also often fail to fully recognise their role in the circular transformation due to fragmented governance, competing priorities, and limited awareness of circular benefits.
In our collaborations, we focus on positioning cities as leaders in circularity while supporting them in embracing this role and maximising their potential.
Change and collaboration is happening across Europe
Cities across Europe are collaborating in various ways to advance the circular economy: sharing knowledge, co-developing strategies, implementing joint projects.
The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), launched by the European Union is serving as a platform where cities can find support in the form of resources, knowledge, networking and exchange. The CSCP is involved in different CCRI projects and work streams, working with city actors to align circular economy solutions to local realities and ensure successful implementation.
Recently, we have launched the CCRI Communities of Practice project to bridge potential gaps in the peer exchange process between cities by setting up dedicated Communities of Practice (CoP) for systematic collaboration. The first CoPs will launch in early 2025, drawing on our previous work in the HOOP project (where we employed our successful biowaste club model to enable creative and impact-oriented collaboration flows) and our current experience in the CARE project (which takes a human-centric approach to support households to become more circular).
The CCRI CoPs will cover topics such as monitoring and indicators for the Circular Economy, collaboration within and between territories, urban planning, water and waste management, circular procurement, and more.
Moreover, we are looking to create synergies between the CCRI projects and other initiatives, like the Circular Cities Declaration, which is a voluntary network bringing together over 80 European cities (to date) that have endorsed ambitious circular commitments.
North-Rhine Westphalia launches ambitious circular cities agenda
The state of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) in Germany has accorded 16 million Euro in a first of two funding rounds dedicated to boosting circular cities, using both state and EU funds from the European Regional Development Fund. Multiple frontrunner projects will take innovative approaches to launch transformation processes in cities and create new opportunities for the economy and society alike. The CSCP will be involved in three of the new projects that launch in 2025 in NRW, working with the cities of Duisburg, Aachen, and Wuppertal.
In the project DU.zirkulär, the CSCP, the city of Duisburg, and the consortium partners (Duisburg Business Innovation, Wirtschaftsbetriebe AöR, GEBAG Duisburger Baugesellschaft, Zolitron) will work on a variety of interventions focusing on Ruhrort, a district where many circular economy initiatives have been launched.
DU.zirkulär aims to transform Duisburg, particularly Ruhrort, into a lighthouse for the Circular Economy. The project focuses on promoting circular practices among citizens and businesses, implementing sustainable infrastructures, and bridging bottom-up initiatives with strategic approaches. Key elements include circular construction, knowledge dissemination, and the development of innovative solutions for the urban community. The CSCP plays a central role in evaluating the project and creating a blueprint to ensure successful approaches are scalable and transferable.
In the city of Aachen, the goal is to create a Kreislauf-WIRK-statt as a place that enables circular action on many levels, including both businesses and other stakeholders working on circular city topics. Together with the city of Aachen and the project partners (Aachener Stadtbetriebe, Concular, Gebäudemanagement), the CSCP will co-shape and contribute to developing the space into a vital part of the Aachen’s transition towards becoming a circular city.
As part of Smart Circular Wuppertal, new business models are being tested and optimised through digitalisation. This involves new approaches to waste-free regional food supply for canteens or schools and the repair of household items. The CSCP is responsible for developing and optimising the business models and will work closely with the city of Wuppertal and all project partners (the Wuppertal Institute, Aufbruch am Arrenberg e.V., Neue Effizienz, Ohne wenn & Aber).
In all new projects launched by the state of NRW, special Circular Economy Managers will be appointed, in response to the need of having more specific and cross-cutting sustainability experts in city administrations. Given that these are new roles, the CSCP together with the Bergische Abfallwirtschaftsverband (BAV) and their project :metabolon, will support with capacity building. For this purpose, targeted vocational training will be offered to the involved cities. Stay in touch with us to find out more about the academy and how to benefit from its services.
Engage with us
We invite cities, policymakers, businesses, and thought leaders to join us in co-creating solutions that position cities as frontrunners in the circular transformation. Together, we can close the gaps, scale impact, and build a resilient, sustainable future.
Please reach out to Felix Schumacher and let’s start new collaborations now!
Image by the CSCP and AI.
The transition to a Circular Economy should occur on a large, cross-border scale and calls for dynamic communication flows between stakeholders and countries. The Capacity Building Programme on Circular Economy enabled such an exchange between Western Balkan countries with the support of Circular Economy experts from different relevant fields.
After 18 months of close collaboration with Western Balkans countries, in October 2024 the project held its final webinar on the topic of food waste prevention. At the webinar, the participants explored practical insights into food waste prevention and monitoring, drawing on lessons from Croatia and other EU Member States. A lively discussion revealed a strong interest among Western Balkan representatives in learning from neighbouring countries about implementing food waste monitoring methodologies.
The programme, which was funded by the EEA Instrument for Pre-Accession, was a collaboration of the CSCP, VITO, and the European Environment Agency (EEA) to deliver a tailored Capacity Building Programme aiming to support six Western Balkan countries in their circular economy journeys.
As part of the programme multiple aspects were addressed, including stakeholder engagement for a Circular Economy, financial and non-financial Circular Economy incentives and how to monitor Circular Economy on a national and EU level.
Key takeaways from the 1.5-year project included recognition that most Western Balkan countries already have national strategies or action plans referring to Circular Economy implementation. In order to facilitate the implementation, however, future efforts should prioritise local projects to provide tangible examples and lessons for broader policymaking.
Strengthening the capacity of decision-makers and addressing public awareness gaps were also highlighted as essential, while financing emerged as a critical enabler for progress. The discussions also revealed that the set-up of Circular Economy monitoring frameworks is a priority for the Western Balkan countries and still requires deeper knowledge and expertise.
This capacity-building programme laid a foundation for greater circularity in the Western Balkans and showcased clear actions that need to be taken to ensure a successful transition from linear to circular consumption and production practices.
The project was funded by the European Environment Agency (EEA) under the framework of the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) Programme. It started in May 2023 and concluded in October 2024.
For further questions, please contact Kartika Anggraeni.
One year after a voluntary agreement signed as part of the Dialogue Forum for the Reduction of Food Waste in the Retail and Wholesale sector in Germany, a monitoring report shows that there is a 24% waste reduction in 2023. Moreover, the 14 signatories of the German Pact against Food Waste have implemented a total 132 measures not only in their own businesses, but also at the interfaces to their suppliers, costumers and in food donation.
According to the monitoring report conducted by the Thünen-Institut, the participating companies from the retail and wholesale sector are well on track with the obligations stemming from the voluntary agreement signed in summer 2023.
As part of the agreement, the companies committed to reduce their own food waste by 50% by 2030 and 30% by 2025, respectively, fulfil 5 related compulsory measures, and respect the “food use hierarchy” and internal training measures.
In addition, they signed up to support food waste reduction at the interfaces with their suppliers, customers, and redistribution organisations with elective measures to be chosen annually from a catalogue of actions.
The Dialogue Forum for Wholesale and Retail to Reduce Food Waste in Germany was coordinated and moderated by the CSCP between 2019-2022. The aim of the Dialogue Forum was the reduction of food waste in the German retail and wholesale sector, in direct support to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
For further questions and to engage with us on the reduction of food waste and loss, please contact Nora Brüggemann.
How can a zero-waste wardrobe work in real life? As part of our CARE project, we explored this question at the Forum Citizen Science 2024, which took place in October 2024 in Hamburg, Germany. At a co-creation workshop, promising solutions for households were developed and discussed with a group of motivated participants, providing insights that could shape the future of sustainable clothing practices.
Citizen Science on the Rise
The theme of this year’s Forum Citizen Science was “Mit:Wirkung” (in German), meaning both ‘co-creation’ and ‘having an impact’. Elements of citizen science have been an integral part of the CARE project from the beginning, starting with a series of co-creation workshops over the summer of 2024 and continuing into the planned pilot phase with 100 European households, starting in mid 2025. The Forum Citizen Science offered a unique opportunity to engage directly with consumers on sustainable clothing.
Listening is Key: What Consumers Need
The CSCP and the CARE project partner, VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE hosted the workshop “Zero waste in the wardrobe”, where participants discussed practical ideas for a more sustainable approach to clothing. The workshop, designed as a multi-step process, included brainstorming and a group exercise based on the Walt Disney method.
The participants first generated over 20 creative ideas on how to make clothing more circular. Then, they voted on what they thought was the most promising idea, which turned out to be an App that helps track clothes and accessories in your wardrobe and suggests new outfit combinations.
Often times, people tend to overbuy clothes precisely because they don’t have a good overview of what they already have or how to combine individual items to create outfits. A tool like this could help tackle this challenge and even connect communities through peer-to-peer clothing swaps and rentals.
At the end of the workshop, the participants were divided into three groups: dreamers, realists, and critics, with each group contributing to the development of the most voted idea by looking at it from different perspectives.
A Matter of Perspective
“While the dreamers explored unlimited possibilities, the realists focused on feasibility”, said Miriam Bätzing, Head of Sustainability at VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE. “The critics, on the other hand, examined the risks and potential uncertainties.” This method ensured a comprehensive approach and allowed participants to think deeply and creatively about the challenges of sustainable clothing. “We were genuinely surprised by the innovative solutions that the participants came up with in just 90 minutes,” added Bätzing. “Once again, we see that our citizen science approach within CARE is really paying off.”
As a think-and-do tank, the CSCP played a central role in facilitating the workshop and ensuring that the outcomes were practical and actionable.
CSCP’s Eva Rudolf shared her enthusiasm: “The workshop not only highlighted the power of collaboration, but also how citizen input can lead to tangible solutions that are more likely to be embraced and adopted. When solutions are co-created with those who will ultimately benefit from them, they are not only more relevant but also have a greater chance of making a real impact. It’s about connecting people with purpose and guiding them to co-create solutions for their sustainable future.”
The results of this session will feed into the strategic planning of CARE‘s future pilots, providing direct consumer insight to shape the direction of the project.
Join CARE today to create a sustainable tomorrow!
Are you passionate about making your household more sustainable? Whether you’re interested in reducing waste in your wardrobe or engaging in other circular lifestyle practices, we invite you to join CARE’s journey.
Households in Tampere (Finland), Asker (Norway), Gothenburg (Sweden), Berlin (Germany), and Lääne-Harju (Estonia), can apply to take part in our upcoming pilots. We encourage other relevant stakeholders, from policymakers to industry experts, to engage with us.
Follow CARE on Linkedin or Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at circularhouseholds.eu to stay updated.
For further questions, please contact Katrin Hüttepohl.
The VERNE project was launched in November 2024 with the aim of transforming European tourism by introducing sustainable, circular models. With innovative solutions in pilot destinations across Europe, the CSCP is leading the way in promoting collaboration and sustainable behaviours. Join us on this exciting journey towards a greener, more resilient tourism sector!
The project, which is funded under the EU Horizon scheme was officially kicked-off in Barcelona, Spain at an event hosted by PNO Innovation (Spain) in collaboration with project partners, including the CSCP.
At the event, the CSCP joined consortium members and European Commission project and policy officers to lay the groundwork for VERNE’s ambitious journey. The discussions highlighted the urgency of tackling tourism’s environmental footprint, such as excessive water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, which are often exacerbated by traditional linear resource models.
Building on these insights, the VERNE project – comprising 15 partners from 10 countries – will roll out and test innovative solutions across five pilot destinations: Bornholm (Denmark), Sønderjylland-Schleswig region (Danish-German borderland), Santorini (Greece), Uusimaa (Finland), and Pomurje (Slovenia).
These pilots aim to demonstrate advancements in energy efficiency, waste and water management, mobility, and digital tools, creating scalable models that can be replicated across Europe.
The role of the CSCP will be vital in driving this transformation, concentrating on creating tailored frameworks for Communities of Practice (CoP) and supporting pilot destinations in adopting resource-efficient approaches that address local challenges effectively.
The VERNE project will focus on quantifying the benefits of circular tourism interventions and engaging diverse stakeholders along the way. The project runs until the end of 2027 and is funded by the Horizon Europe programme.
The blue economy has become a coin term for the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources for economic growth while preserving the health of marine ecosystems. Our AlgaePro BANOS project team joined Mission Arena 3 in Amsterdam, Netherlands to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the North Sea region from marine pollution and biodiversity loss to overfishing and security.
Over the course of two days in November 2024, over 300 participants came together for collaborating and co-designing the blue future of the North Sea region and tackling the issues such as the multi-use of space, Mariparks, smart sea and security, marine protection and marine energy production.
The CSCP co-hosted the workshop on “Green messaging for blue growth” and discussed with the 40 participants how the sustainability benefits of algae-based products can be communicated to consumers, end-users, and regulators.
The workshop was conducted in a world café format: for each of the start-ups involved in the AlgaePro BANOS project, their business models was described along each stage of a life cycle (resources, production, logistics, use phase/product, end-of-life) at a dedicated workshop table. Based on this, the project team collected ideas and feedback on potential sustainability claims for each stage of the life cycle, also taking into account interdependencies between the different stages.
For most of the start-ups, cost-competitiveness compared to conventional alternatives came out as one of the core challenges. Therefore, the identification of communicable, and therefore priceable, sustainability aspects of their products was confirmed as an important leverage for defining USPs of the start-ups.
The feedback gathered during the workshop will play an important role in the following co-creation processes with the startups and downstream stakeholders, which will take place in 2025 as part of the AlgaePro BANOS project.
The event Mission Arena is part of the the EU-funded Mission Ocean lighthouse BlueMissionBANOS and aims to inspire, engage, and support stakeholders across the BANOS area in taking positive action to reach Mission Ocean objectives.
The AlgaePro BANOS project works toward showcasing the economic potential of sustainably sourced algae-based products by developing and improving eight product value chains of the project’s pilot partners.
For further questions, please contact Pawel Zylka.
Marketing services comprise a massive industry that accounts for over 200 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year*. A recent research project led by the EHI Retail Institute in collaboration with Climate Partner and the CSCP looked into creating a common understanding for retailers and service providers in Germany on the climate impact of advertising and discussed potential fields of action to improve the carbon footprint of both digital and analogue media channels.
The CSCP was tasked with the moderation of the stakeholder dialogue, the main focus being on facilitating exchange and active engagement.
The research project created a Product Carbon Footprint analysis, which was not available prior to the study. The knowledge gained can help ensure that all media channels used are brought to the market in a CO2-optimised manner, forming the basis for future sustainable marketing strategies in retail.
The study also highlights that it is crucial that companies and their stakeholders recognise the need for sustainable transformation and actively shape it. This affects all areas of a company and marketing in particular. The analysis of greenhouse gas emissions opens our eyes to the impact of the actions of marketing and communication departments.
The exciting result of dealing with the topic is that, based on the desire to be more sustainable, opportunities for innovation arise for companies, the openness for new advertising channels is strengthened, cost savings can be achieved and thus more creative freedom is created. Even simple changes such as considering digital media alternatives may help reduce costs while also cutting down emissions.
A comprehensive materiality analysis within a company is therefore recommended and shows how important it is for all departments within an organisation to work together in considering all elements of the footprint from the supply chain to the consumer, including the necessary advertising measures.
The study “CO2-Efficient Marketing in Retail: Accounting and Fields of Action for Selected Media Channels” encourages companies to approach the results as an opportunity to rethink their media planning and give greater consideration to ecological aspects in addition to economic aspects.
To delve deeper into the insights of the study, CSCP Senior Manager, Victoria Funk was part of the EHI Retail Insights Podcast (Episode #129), alongside Julia Fabig from OBI as a retail representative and partner of the initiative.
This episode (in German) provides further context on CO2-efficient marketing and actionable recommendations for businesses.
You can listen to the episode here.
For further questions, please contact Victoria Funk.
*Purpose Disruptors, Adverted Emissions 2022
A seasoned transformation expert, Stephan Multhaupt has joined the CSCP with a bold vision: to connect digital innovation, cultural transformation, and sustainability, creating pathways for businesses and society to thrive within planetary boundaries.
A transformation expert at the CSCP is a natural match. Can you elaborate more on your vision and what motivated you to join our team?
My vision is to integrate digitalisation, mindset transformation, and sustainability to tackle today’s global and partly existential challenges. Digital tools enable better decision-making, but true transformation hinges on people embracing change. Sustainability then provides the guiding framework, ensuring that actions contribute to long-term value on a stable, socially just foundation and within planetary boundaries.
The CSCP’s integrated, systemic approach mirrors my own philosophy. Joining the team was an opportunity to collaborate with experts who share my vision of making sustainability a central tenet of business and society. Together, we can create solutions that not only respond to immediate challenges but also drive lasting change.
You mentioned digitalisation, sustainability, mindset shift – all buzzwords of our time. How can these topics connect in meaningful ways to enable real and positive change?
These topics connect through their shared role in enabling transformation. Digitalisation isn’t just about technology—it’s about making data actionable and improving decision-making. Mindset shifts are about creating openness to change, ensuring that individuals and organisations can adapt to and leverage new possibilities. Sustainability, meanwhile, ensures that these efforts align with larger goals, such as resilience and equitable growth.
The key is integration. By embedding these elements into organisational strategies, we can create practical pathways to real change. This means designing solutions that address not only immediate objectives but also systemic needs, like reducing resource dependence or improving social equity.
Though change on an individual or organisational level is desired, we are past that point and need a rather systemic shift to counter current challenges. How is this doable?
Systemic change requires coordination across sectors and levels of society. It starts with a shared understanding of sustainability—not just as an ideal, but as a necessity. Clear frameworks, like the context based Sustainable Development Performance Indicators (SDPI) and circular economy principles, help set understandable and actionable goals.
Collaboration is key. By uniting governments, businesses, and civil society, we can address structural challenges more effectively. Mutual accountability and tracking progress make systemic shifts both attainable and impactful.
Key to overall sustainability is also mainstreaming sustainable business. What’s holding us back there and how to move forward?
A major barrier is the misconception that sustainability is costly or optional. In reality, sustainable practices enhance resilience, stimulate innovation, and offer long-term benefits. To move forward, we need to dispel myths by highlighting success stories where sustainability improves competitiveness.
Educating businesses on the tangible advantages of sustainable practices is essential. Creating positive narratives and addressing disinformation will shift perceptions and encourage widespread adoption of sustainability as a strategic imperative.
Lastly, beyond work, what’s your take on sustainability – any tips or hacks you would like to share?
Absolutely. I believe sustainability begins with our daily choices. Personally, I’m transitioning towards a meat-free diet to reduce my environmental footprint and promote animal welfare. Supporting local initiatives is also important to me. I am actively involved with the focus group “Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship” at the digitalHUB Aachen, contributing to regional transformation through community-driven projects.
I’m passionate about nurturing and challenging talents. By mentoring and engaging with individuals who are keen on making a difference, we can cultivate a new generation of sustainability leaders. These combined efforts not only enrich our communities but also drive the broader shift towards a more sustainable and socially responsible society.
For further questions, please contact Stephan Multhaupt.
As the world faces rising challenges in feeding a growing population sustainably, alternative proteins such as peas, fermented mycoprotein, and insects are emerging options. But what does this mean for our plates—and our choices?
In our EU Horizon project, LIKE-A-PRO we focus on accelerating the shift toward healthier and more sustainable dietary patterns by diversifying and increasing the availability, accessibility, and uptake of alternative sources of protein.
As part of the project, the CSCP conducted the second round of Living Labs at different locations in Germany (Mönchengladbach, Cologne, and Münster) to explore the potential and challenges of emerging alternative proteins together with German consumers from various backgrounds and demographics.
The goal of the labs was to engage and gather consumer feedback on the perceptions and acceptance of alternative proteins as well as raise awareness on how to integrate them into their diets.
The workshop participants could taste a variety of insect bars, homemade burgers with mycoprotein patties, and different protein shakes based on pea protein.
A key takeaway was that price and packaging are key factors when it comes to giving innovative products a try. For a recurring or habitual purchase, however, the products should meet expectations for taste. Moreover, consumers discussed the health and sustainability component of alternative proteins—from their preference for less processed products to questions about animal welfare in the case of insect-based proteins.
These and other detailed insights on the specific products, including taste, texture, appearance and more, will be shared with food producers to support them in creating products that resonate with, and ultimately, are accepted by consumers.
The next LIKE-A-PRO Living Labs will take place in spring 2025—if you’d like join or host a workshop where we can jointly explore the future of food, please reach out to Jennifer Wiegard.
For questions on the LIKE-A-PRO project and living labs across the 11 European countries, please contact Arlind Xhelili.