CIRCONOMY

CIRCONOMY aims to accelerate Europe's transition towards a sustainable circular economy (CE) by creating a harmonised, operational framework of micro-level CE indicators. While macroeconomic frameworks provide valuable aggregated data, they lack the detail needed for municipalities, companies, and households to make informed decisions or support behavioural change and investment strategies. To bridge this gap, CIRCONOMY will develop a modular, user-focused monitoring framework and an intuitive digital tool that combines scientific rigour with practical usability. The project uses a participatory, interdisciplinary approach, integrating life cycle thinking, environmental footprint methods, social sciences, and digital innovation to create a robust, inclusive, and adaptable framework across various socio-economic and territorial contexts. Through co-creation and iterative testing in pilot and replication studies, CIRCONOMY will verify the relevance, usability, and scalability of its solutions in real-world municipal, industrial, and household contexts. Beyond technical development, CIRCONOMY focuses on capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and policy alignment. Toolkits, training modules, and communication strategies help municipalities, SMEs, industries, and citizens apply indicators in daily and long-term practices strategies. Policy briefs and recommendations will ensure alignment with EU initiatives such as the Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Taxonomy, and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive to strengthen institutional adoption. Linking circularity measurement with governance, financial decisions, and citizen participation, CIRCONOMY will turn circular economy principles into practical, context-specific, socially inclusive practices. In doing so, it will strengthen Europe's ability to monitor progress towards circularity, support the European Green Deal, and help achieve climate, biodiversity, and sustainability goals.