Developing Circular Pathways for aN EU Low-Carbon Transition

The CircEUlar project is a four year European Research and Innovation Action

Understand the dynamics and levers for societal transformation towards a net-zero emission circular economy

Work-Package-and-focus-area-structure-in-the-CircEUlar-project

CircEUlar is a four year European Research and Innovation Action that will develop new modelling approaches for analysing circularity from a systems perspective accounting for:

1) dematerialisation and the transition to a service-based economy to limit material stock growth;

2) lifetime extension of material stocks through repair, maintenance, reuse;

3) waste treatment and material recycling.

CircEUlar’s approach will be comprehensive, combining new data and modelling of economy-wide material stocks and flows, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and industrial value chains across interlinked sectors, with deep-dive analysis of mobility and buildings as material-intensive demand sectors. These two focus areas have large material stocks, potential for circular transformation, and strong dependence on both circular consumption and production practices.

CircEUlar will also focus on digitalisation as a potential enabler of dematerialisation and supply chain circularity.

DURATION

48 months (Starting date: 1 September 2022)

CONSORTIUM

12 organisations from 8 countries

COORDINATOR

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

EU CONTRIBUTION

€ 4 495 434

CircEUlar is comprehensive in its modelling approaches, its scientific knowledge base, and its coverage of circular economy potentials and impacts.

CircEUlar integrates multiple fields of data, knowledge and expertise including:

- empirical analysis of firm and consumer propensities towards circular economy measures;
- industry input on process-level innovations and circular economy business models;
- modelling analysis of economy-wide material stocks and flows, and policy levers of change towards societal transformation.

CircEUlar will integrate new insights on circular economy potentials and impacts into EU and global modelling frameworks for:

- analysing alternative pathways to net-zero GHG emissions;
- testing effective policy levers for both circular production and consumption;
- assessing outcomes for climate, environment, economy and society, in line with European Green Deal objectives.

Insights from CircEUlar at the 12th International Conference on Industrial Ecology

Jakob Napiontek presented the latest developments of EUBUCCO, a comprehensive expansion of the existing building database the EUBUCCO buildings dataset as part of the CircEUlar project

New article on uncertainty in estimates of material stocks

We call for transparent reporting, uncertainty assessments, further data collection, and greater collaboration through open-access tools and standardized approaches.

Circular citizenship behaviours: How individuals can promote systemic change towards a circular economy

A new theoretical framework developed by our colleagues at the University of Groningen sheds light on how individuals can go beyond personal consumption and actively contribute to systemic change to achieve a circular economy.

How circularity could contribute to driving climate change mitigation in the Built Environment?

On June 18th CircEUlar, CIRCOMOD and CO2NSTRUCT presented preliminary findings and insights on how, in the built environment, circularity could contribute to driving climate change mitigation as part of EU Green Week.

Building a Greener Future: Circular Economy Strategies for Climate Change Mitigation in the Built Environment

Transitioning to a circular economy model, through the reuse of materials, sustainable construction practices, and improved renovation strategies, can play a key role in climate change mitigation and the reduction of environmental impacts.

Grasping how different urban patterns affect local energy and materials demand

The CircEUlar team at INEGI is exploring how different urban patterns dictate energy and material needs, through spatially-explicit modelling of a comprehensive set of indicators.

The Indirect Impacts of Digitalisation on Energy and Emissions

Charlie Wilson and Yee Van Fan argue that the indirect impacts of AI on climate may outweigh concerns about the energy needed to train and run AI models.

How Circular Economy Strategies Can Drive Net-Zero Emissions: New Report Released

The CircEUlar project developed a set of narratives that examine how Circular Economy (CE) strategies can contribute to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

Developing Preliminary Pathways with Stakeholder Feedback

In March and April 2025, research partner T6 Ecosystems, designed, organised and delivered four online sessions with stakeholders to explore the future of the built environment, mobility, digitalisation, and household appliances and waste in a more circular economy.

How Modular Models Can Unlock Demand-Side Solutions

In order to formulate climate strategies that are capable of being implemented, it is essential to establish a modelling ecosystem that is characterised by diversity, collaboration and a foundation in the complexity of the real world.