Cologne Stakeholder Dialogue: From Circular Economy to Circular Society The circular economy can help address resource scarcity and keep businesses competitive. But there’s still a sizeable gap between political ambitions and what companies can actually do. At the stakeholder dialogue “Circular Economy: Panacea or Fig Leaf?”, held in October 2025 in Cologne, Germany and hosted by toom Baumarkt and UmweltDialog, experts talked about real ways to make circular economy work and why it’s as much about culture and mindset as it is about technical innovation. In his keynote speech, CSCP Executive Director, Michael Kuhndt invited the audience to “think about their favourite product designed for circularity”. With that prompt, he mapped how circular-economy practices emerge along the value chain, from production to retail to consumption. In his keynote, Kuhndt zoomed into six key aspects shaping the circular transition: First, its impact on business models. He pointed out that the industry still operates largely in a linear way and that a mindset shift from product innovation to circular innovation is needed. He shared promising examples of repair corners in DIY stores, makerspaces, creative start-ups, and retail pilots such as IKEA branches in Sweden offering only products made from secondary materials. Second, he spoke about the real added value of circular economy, from climate neutrality to raw-material sovereignty. Third, he emphasised the need for new forms of collaboration, with cities becoming resource depots and partners in transformation—illustrated by Aachen’s Circular Hub and Duisburg’s exchange and repair stations that enable urban mining and sharing concepts. Fourth, he spoke about the role of regulation in creating transparency, mentioning public procurement as a potential game changer. Fifth, he urged about the need for building new skills and capabilities to enable and accelerate the circular transition. Finally, he called for a more general rethinking process, moving from a circular economy toward a circular society. Kuhndt’s keynote was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Elmer Lenzen, editor-in-chief at UmweltDialog. The discussion showed how different the perspectives on the circular transition are and what challenges still need to be overcome. Dominique Rotondi, Managing Director for Merchandise & Logistics at toom Baumarkt, made it clear that the circular economy does not yet have the desired standing in society. Rotondi called for incentives instead of a political “punishment system.” Carolina E. Schweig, a packaging consultant from Hamburg, pointed out that the circular economy is not only a nice-to-have, but also a real necessity in economic areas competing for resources. She also put the regulatory landscape in context: many EU building blocks fit together sensibly like a puzzle—if one piece is loosened, another regulation will demand it again. The panelists agreed that the transformation can only succeed if actors together. Laura Scherer, founder of the learning platform Circu:Culture, noted that that there are still many gaps in concrete expertise around the circular economy. She also brought in the societal dimension: after decades of consumption, the focus should shift—to sharing, repairing, and collective use. At the end of the panel discussion, CSCP Executive Director, Michael Kuhndt emphasised that the European Green Deal requires a completely new approach to collaboration, an action point that calls for cross-sector partnerships, innovative business models, and shared accountability to drive systemic transformation. Keen to find new ways to collaborate for a circular future? Reach out to Dr. Flandra Syla-Beqiri to start the conversation! Photos by Marion Lenzen.