There is a gap between the skills workers have today and the ones they will need to participate in a circular economy fit for the future. Without proper up- and reskilling, we risk not only leaving workers behind but also limit our ability to achieve our environmental goals.
This report lays out why vocational and educational training (VET) is a key mechanism to secure a skilled workforce that can thrive in the circular economy. It provides recommendations for governments, educators, industry and civil society, illustrating how VET can help us build circular capacities, leverage existing skill sets and diversify.
People make the circular economy go round. That's why businesses must put people first as they design circular models and strategies. This briefing lays out six ways HR professionals can shape organisational culture and build human capital for a circular economy.
HRM practices that are well aligned with circular business models will be an important precondition for sustainable and competitive organisations. HR can play a key role in developing, reinforcing and shifting the culture of organisations towards more sustainable, circular principles. By linking workers, managers, and business departments, HR professionals can:
The briefing further identifies steps HR professionals need to take to move towards truly circular HRM, ranging from understanding skills needs to rethinking performance management.
Circle Economy is actively strengthening evidence on the shift in and demand for jobs and skills in a circular economy. Our Circular Jobs Initiative defines and identifies circular jobs, analyses the environment needed to create them and maximise their societal benefits, and examines how best technology can play a positive part. We work with employers, workers, governments, multilateral organisations, education institutions and research organisations.
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The circular economy changes industries and labour markets. This briefing lays out six ways social partners, such as trade and labour unions, can ensure a Just Transition to the circular economy.
Being in the centre of workers, businesses and governments, social partners are well positioned to:
In addition, the briefing provides an overview of key considerations social partners should take into account when designing interventions and steering social dialogue. These range from skills to legal barriers.
Circle Economy is actively strengthening evidence on the shift in and demand for jobs and skills in a circular economy. Our Circular Jobs Initiative defines and identifies circular jobs, analyses the environment needed to create them and maximise their societal benefits, and examines how best technology can play a positive part. We work with employers, workers, governments, multilateral organisations, education institutions and research organisations.
Commissioned by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), which advises the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Circle Economy and Shifting Paradigms have researched how the circular economy can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in low- and middle-income countries.
This report uncovers the range of socio-economic and environmental co-benefits that circular mitigation interventions can bring to GEF countries of operation. It supports strategic advice by the STAP to the GEF and its implementing partners and helps carve out a role for these bodies in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon circular economy. As our Circularity Gap Report 2021 reported, circular economy strategies have the potential to slash global greenhouse gas emissions by 39%, emphasising the urgency for a circular economy approach.
The findings of this report will be highly relevant to the development of future GEF projects and programmes across its different focal areas.
How circular is the Dutch textile sector and how can it—in line with national ambitions—transition to full circularity by 2050?
This snapshot report summarises the findings of an analysis conducted by Circle Economy and HIVA, in collaboration with various textile industry stakeholders, to assess the industry's state of play and co-design a scenario for a circular future. It includes a baseline assessment of consumption and employment in the Dutch textile sector as well as a scenario analysis for a circular textile sector in 2050. These findings will be part of a final report, launching in May 2021, which will include a skills analysis and policy recommendations.
A shift to a circular economy will impact labour markets around the world: while some jobs will disappear or change in nature, new jobs will emerge. Certain combinations of skills will become more important, and workers and employers will be required to develop new mindsets to adapt to changing working practices. But what are circular jobs exactly? And how can we ensure the transition to the circular economy is positive for work and workers? Our circular jobs definition framework defines circular jobs, with examples of jobs that contribute to the circular economy, and explains how this is used in Circle Economy's Circular Jobs Monitor, an online tool that gathers and displays the number and range of jobs that are part of the circular economy.
This report provides a snapshot of Flevoland's flow of children's clothing, identifies the industry's potential for circular innovation and entails concrete recommendations for policymakers, wholesalers and retailers to accelerate progress towards the circular economy.
The Circular Textiles Scan has been commissioned by the Dutch Province of Flevoland, which—in line with the national ambition to become 100% circular by 2050—has set out to become a circular resource provider by 2030. Results from our research help the province turn its circular target into an actionable strategy.
Circle Economy's Circular Jobs Monitor gathers and displays the number and range of jobs that are part of the circular economy.
This bulletin introduces the monitor and provides a snapshot of data that was entered on the monitor in 2020. This includes data for several territories in Northern Europe and North America, including Amsterdam, Flanders, Scotland and New York City. For each territory that is entered on the monitor, an overall number and percentage of circular jobs are generated. This total is also broken down by sector, circular economy strategies and across core, enabling and indirectly circular jobs.
The Circular Jobs Monitor provides policymakers, economists, and labour organisations with insights into the relationship between the circular economy and the labour market. These insights can facilitate the design of evidence-based strategies for promoting the circular economy, required education pathways, and a benchmark of current circular activity against which to monitor future progress.
This report, launched by UNIDO Egypt in partnership with Circle Economy, highlights the results of a denim-recycling pilot named "RE.ACT". The pilot was rolled out to support the development of circular solutions for denim recycling in the Egyptian cotton textile industry through strategic partnerships between Italy and Egypt, rallying industry stakeholders for knowledge and technology transfers.
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