Circular Jobs Initiative - Circle Economy

How can economies and industries move towards a circular economy that promotes wellbeing within planetary boundaries?

Circle Economy’s Circular Jobs Initiative supports economies and industries in applying circular interventions in a socially just way. We identify the people, skills and roles needed to scale circular interventions while uncovering the opportunities and challenges the transition may pose. With these insights, governments and industries can create inclusive plans that put the circular economy into action with and for people.
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While global material extraction and consumption can spur development, the benefits have yet to be distributed equally, leading to the exploitation of land, people and communities worldwide. The circular economy offers a solution by fulfilling society’s needs with less whilst reducing planetary impacts.

MAKING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY WORK FOR PEOPLE

The circular economy is a vehicle for sustainable development—by addressing environmental challenges and meeting societal needs. From creating greater supply chain resilience and jobs to being a climate adaptation and mitigation tool. With the circular economy, we can change the way we live and work, redistributing the benefits of low-carbon and regenerative economies within and across borders.

We face a choice today. How governments and industry actors choose to implement circular economy interventions will impact people around the world. To put people at the centre of the circular economy and maximise the social benefits it can bring, we need to know:

Who and what roles and skills are needed to drive circular economy interventions?
Who will be impacted by scaling circular economy interventions or implementing new ones?
How can circular economy interventions minimise trade-offs between environmental and social targets?

MAKING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY WORK FOR PEOPLE

WHAT ARE CIRCULAR JOBS?

A circular job is any occupation that directly involves or indirectly supports one of the strategies of the circular economy. We differentiate between three types of circular jobs: core, enabling and indirectly circular jobs:

Core circular jobs

All jobs that ensure the closure of raw material cycles, including jobs in repair, renewable energy, waste and resource management. They form the core of the circular economy.

Enabling circular jobs

Remove barriers for and enable the acceleration and upscaling of core circular activities, including jobs that arise in leasing, education, design and digital technology. They form the supporting shell of the circular economy.

Indirectly circular jobs

Indirectly uphold the circular economy. These jobs occur in other sectors that do not play a direct role in furthering the transition to the circular economy but can still adopt circular strategies. They include jobs that provide services to core circular strategies, including jobs in information services, logistics and the public sector.

Learn more

OUR FOCUS AREAS

The Circular Jobs Initiative enables stakeholders in governments and industry to understand the people, skills and enabling conditions that are needed to unlock the social benefits of the circular economy. We do this through three focus areas:

examples of OUR work

Learn about our work with these examples of some of our past and current projects.

The Circular Jobs Monitor

The Circular Jobs Monitor gathers and displays data on the number, range and location of jobs that are part of the circular economy and provides policymakers, economists, and labour organisations with insights into the relationship between circular economy activities and the labour market.

Putting Circular Textiles to Work

This project analysed the Dutch circular textiles industry on its impact on employment. It explored how different strategies— from a shift in consumption, to prioritising repair, to textile recycling—will impact jobs, and the skills needed to get there.

Upskilling TVET institutions and training providers on the circular economy

UNESCO-UNEVOC and Circle Economy Foundation implemented a project to strengthen the capabilities of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and training providers in facilitating young people in their entry or re-entry to new job markets and entrepreneurial ventures, with a focus on youth affected by unemployment due to the pandemic

Decent work in the circular economy

This is a joint initiative of Circle Economy Foundation, the International Labour Organisation and the World Bank’s Solutions For Youth Employment (S4YE) Programme. It creates evidence and tools to unlock the potential of the circular economy for promoting innovation, sustainable enterprise, and decent work for all.

hear from OUR partners

Measuring the state of the circular economy is difficult, but it has been crucial for understanding the progress Scotland is making towards the circular economy. The Circular Jobs methodology has helped us get a sense of where Scotland’s labour market is now and how we can measure progress in the future. The Circular Jobs Monitor makes our results accessible to an international audience and enables us to see regional variations that can support policy development.

– Leonore te Bokkel, Assistant Economist, Zero Waste Scotland

The Circular Jobs Monitor provided Cornwall Council with the opportunity to make decisions that will further enhance the development of a sustainable and circular economy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

– Peter Lefort, Cornwall Council's Carbon Neutral Cornwall Sector and Partnerships Lead

Over the past decade, sustained investment in technological and material innovation has accelerated the transition to a circular economy. But to further scale its positive impact, we now need to embrace social innovations that make the circular economy relevant to our daily lives, jobs and education. Only if technological and social innovations go hand in hand, can we drive real change.

– Birgitta Kramer, Programme Manager Circular Economy at Goldschmeding Foundation

Putting people at the heart of the circular economy

How can economies and industries move towards a circular economy that promotes wellbeing within planetary boundaries?

MAKING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY WORK FOR PEOPLE

WHAT ARE CIRCULAR JOBS?

OUR FOCUS AREAS