As an implementing partner of the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use, the World Resources Forum Association will support the European Environment Agency in further developing the knowledge base necessary for accelerating the transition to a circular economy.
What are European Topic Centres?
European Topic Centres (ETCs) are centres of thematic expertise designated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) following a Europe-wide competitive selection process. Together with the EEA members and co-operating countries, the ETCs facilitate provision of data, information and knowledge, and deliver reports and other services to the EEA and its network Eionet (European Information and Observation Network).
ETC Circular Economy and Resource Use
The ETC on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC CE) is aimed at further developing the evidence base for transitioning to a circular economy, taking into account also wider green economy considerations by looking at impacts of resource use on human health and well-being. The consortium, formed by 13 European organisations and led by VITO, will operate under a framework partnership agreement for the period 2022-2026. The ETC CE informs decision-makers and the public by presenting reliable and comparable data and information on circular economy and industrial transformation, the implementation of EU waste legislation, and material flows and sustainable resource use in Europe.
Key thematic areas where the ETC CE will support EEA include:
- Monitoring and assessment of the uptake of circular economy in Europe
- Implementation of effective waste policies
- Assessment of production and consumption systems across key product value chains (e.g. plastics, textiles, built environment)
- Development of knowledge on material flows, Europe’s resource supply and related environmental pressures.
How WRFA will contribute
As project partner in a large consortium, WRFA will contribute to the main outcomes of the ETC CE with the following activities in 2022:
- leading a work package aimed at advancing the knowledge of the repair sector in Europe, to provide an evidence-based update on current activity levels along with an assessment of the challenges and opportunities for increased uptake of repair services by European consumers
- contributing to a working paper of best practices in the uptake of circular economy in European countries
- contributing to a study to understand the status, trends and likely future developments for the circular material use rate (CMUR) at the EU level
- contributing to an assessment of the current building system and its environmental and climate aspects, and development of a vision and roadmap for a sustainable building system of the future
- compiling knowledge around the security and sustainability of raw materials supply to support Joint Research Center (JRC) improving the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS)
- contributing to an analysis of waste trade, with a focus on plastics, including an updated data mapping for transboundary shipments of plastic waste
By collaborating with EEA and all project partners in a multi-stakeholder setting, participation in the ETC CE will enable WRFA to further support work aimed at fostering Europe’s transition towards a resource efficient, regenerative and climate neutral economy. WRFA sees resource circularity as a central component in the realisation of global sustainable development and resource management agendas, and is therefore enthusiastic to collaborate on the co-creation and exchange of knowledge, data and information for a successful transition towards a circular economy in Europe.
The ETC CE consortium brings together 13 partner organisations: VITO (Coordinating Organisation), Banson Editorial and Communications, Czech Environmental Information Agency (CENIA), Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth of the National Research Council of Italy, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, PlanMiljø, Sustainable Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS), German Environment Agency (UBA), Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Wuppertal Institut, World Resources Forum Association.
Updates about the project’s outputs can be found on the Eionet Portal here.
For more information about WRFA’s involvement in the project, please get in touch with Shahrzad Manoochehri (shahrzad.manoochehri@wrforum.org) or Mathias Schluep (mathias.schluep@wrforum.org).
