SINCERE (Sino-European Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency)

The SINCERE project (SINo-european Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency) is addressing the following priority themes under the Green Economy area: - The greenness and dynamics of economies; - Metrics and indicators for a green economy; - Policies planning, and institutions (including business) for a green economy - Green economy in cities and metropolitan areas. A focus on resources, sustainable consumption and production is at the heart of the principles of the Green Economy, according to the UN. China and Europe have highlighted the importance of resource-efficiency and moving towards a circular economy. Europe has adopted Resource Efficiency as a flagship initiative, and China passed a Circular Economy Law in 2009. In light of these policy developments, there is a need to better understand the importance of resource efficiency on economic performance, the metrics and indicators through which action can be motivated and monitored, the underlying drivers of change and prospects for the future, as well as the role of institutions and policies. SINCERE has been developed to address these issues by bringing together leading researchers from five countries: UCL ISR in the UK, the Institute for Applied Ecology in China, Wuppertal University and FHI-ISI in Germany, ParisMinesTech in France and UM-MERIT in the Netherlands. In addition to help deliver clarity in the theoretical debate, SINCERE will deliver new indicators for measuring CE/RE, based on Emergy, innovation and SGAP.