ETC/CE 2022-2026

The European Green Deal aims to make the transition to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. The EU is to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To make this transformation possible, resource use must be optimised. To ensure that waste is avoided and recycled as much as possible and products and components are used for as long as possible, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has identified the circular economy as one of its five strategic areas.

The European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC/CE) 2022-2026 is a consortium of European institutions, led by VITO (Belgium) and contracted by the EEA to supply thematic expertise and carry out specific tasks. The thematic areas, in which the ETC/CE supports the EEA in 2022 are: industrial change (monitoring CE), EU waste legislation, as well as material flows and sustainable resource use.

The Wuppertal Institute, as a member of the ETC/CE consortium, is involved in two key working areas:

• In the area of "Circular Economy and industrial transformation", researchers of the Wuppertal Institute contribute to the assessment and monitoring of a circular economy. Among other things, the establishment of a product passport to is being analyzed as well as country-specific challenges and opportunities for the implementation of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan at national level.
• In the area "Supporting implementation of EU waste legislation", researchers of the Wuppertal Institute analyse the national waste prevention programmes. From the data obtained, profiles are conducted structuring and evaluating the development of waste prevention measures in the respective country. The researchers also examine the effectivity of existing strategies towards a monitoring system of waste prevention.

ETC 2024

Under the ETC 2024 tasks, researchers at the Wuppertal Institute contributed to advancing the understanding of what a just transition in the context of circular economy might entail. Their work focused on conceptual challenges related to a just transition towards circular economy as well as social costs associated with implementing circular economy measures. 

The resulting report addresses the following thematic areas:

1. Conceptual framing – Proposing a framework for a just circular economy by exploring how dimensions of a just transition – distributional justice, procedural justice and recognitional justice – interact with the notion of circular economy to cover ecological, economic and social dimensions;
2. Value chain analysis – Targeted analyses of the value chains for batteries, plastics, and textiles were conducted to identify social risks associated with linear production methods and the circular transition;
3. Policy recommendations – Lastly, policy recommendations reflecting social justice considerations, including opportunities to enhance inclusivity and to mitigate potential negative consequences for vulnerable groups, were formulated.

In sum, the researchers explored the social dimension of a circular economy by formulating conceptual approaches, identifying potential social perils and formulating practical approaches on how to address them.

ETC 2025

ETC 2025 builds on the foundations provided by ETC 2024, moving toward operationalising the just transition to circular economy, with a particular focus on developing indicators to monitor the social fairness of the transition process.

Under the ETC 2025 tasks, researchers at the Wuppertal Institute work on:

1. The analysis and understanding of social aspects within circular transitions, with a particular focus on deepening the conceptual insights gained in ETC 2024 to deduct feasible indicators;
2. Identifying and testing suitable metrics, such as those related to job creation, employment quality, or labour-related distributional impacts that can support the EEA’s Circularity Metrics Lab, as well as a broader monitoring framework.

With the 2025 ETC tasks, researchers at the Wuppertal Institute aim to broaden the evidence base for policies that are both circular and socially just, and to inform future EU strategies on circular economy and green transition governance.