EEA webinar: Advancing a Just Transition Towards Circular Economy

On 18 June 2025, the European Environment Agency is hosting the webinar "Advancing a just transition towards circular economy". The focus will be on building a shared understanding of just transition in the context of circular economy, sharing knowledge and country practices to support better policy making, and strengthening assessment and evaluation approaches.

Burcu Gözet, Senior Researcher in the Circular Systems Research Unit and Co-Head of the Berlin Office of the Wuppertal Institute, will present the European Topic Centre (ETC) report "A Just Transition to Circular Economy – Exploring current and potential social implications in the batteries, plastics, and textiles value chains".

The social impact of the transition to a circular economy receives too little attention so far

While the current discourse on circular economy centres on avoiding negative environmental impacts of supply chains through changes in the economic system and technological solutions – with a clear focus on industrial strategies and economic growth – the social implications are often ignored. In their report, Gözet and her co-authors, on the other hand, propose an approach for a just circular economy that balances the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability, based on the principles of distributive, procedural, and recognitional justice. The report focuses in particular on the value chains for batteries, textiles and plastics, includes assessments of current circular economy policies and initiatives – and concludes with recommendations for the next steps towards a socially just circular economy.

The webinar is free of charge and – after prior registration – open for all. Further information, the detailed programme and the possibility to register are available via the following link.