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The ETC/CE Project is Launched: Accelerating the Circular Transition in Europe

Due to unsustainable production and consumption practices and high resource depletion rates, the pressure on the environment is enormous. The Circular Economy holds great potential to support Europe’s transition toward a resource efficient, regenerative and climate neutral economy while maintaining its market competitiveness and social well-being.

The EU has recognised the potential of Circular Economy very prominently in the EU Green Deal, at the heart of which lays the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). This plan seeks to guide the EU toward a successful economic growth but decoupled from resource use. Such a transition requires a holistic approach that not only monitors progress toward circularity but also keeps track of future changes and promotes innovative solutions across key socio-economic systems such as food, energy and mobility. It will also need a multi-stakeholder approach based on co-creation and collaborative principles that leverages opportunities at all governance levels to achieve the efficiency, the effectiveness and the acceptability of new solutions. Furthermore, a pivotal element in the transition is the creation and exchange of knowledge, data, and information.

The European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC/CE) focuses precisely on this. Supporting the European Environment Agency (EEA) to provide independent information to policy makers and broader audiences on environmental topics, the ETC/CE will collect, analyse and provide up-to-date information and data on circular economy and related solutions. The ETC/CE will collaborate, co-create and interact with key stakeholders, from policy makers, businesses, scientific community and practitioners to the broader public, to ensure the potential of circular economy is optimally accelerated. Four key areas will be the focus of ETC/CE: the monitoring and assessment of the uptake of circular economy in Europe; the implementation of effective waste policies; the assessment of production and consumption systems across key product value chains; and the development of knowledge on material flows, Europe’s resource supply and related environmental pressures.

The ETC/CE is a continuation of a long-term collaboration and partnership of the CSCP with the implementing partners and the EEA as funder. Within the project, CSCP is responsible for and contributes its expertise on sustainable consumption at consumer level, (innovative) business models and digitalisation, as well as the design and implementation of multi-stakeholder engagement activities with project stakeholders and beneficiaries. In addition, CSCP will support the communication of project results to project beneficiaries and the wider audience.

The ETC/CE is funded by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and it will run for a period of 5 years (2022-2026). The project relies on the expertise of 13 European partners.

For further questions, please contact Arlind Xhelili.

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