Making Circular Economy Count – What you can’t measure, you can’t manage

14th April,2021 Download

Given a narrowing window of opportunity for systemic change, policymakers need to measure the progress towards a circular economy on a national level to effectively steer the transition from a linear to a circular economy.

This report, funded by the SUN Foundation and published by acatech, the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and SYSTEMIQ , evaluates the current state of research and practice on circular economy (CE) metrics. A draft has now been shared.

The report will enable policymakers to:

  • review the existing CE metrics;
  • evaluate the national transition progress, using a set of metrics based on key dimensions of the circular economy; and
  • understand why national monitoring should be complemented by standardized reporting mechanisms to evaluate resource flows at company level.

The report finds that a practical, feasible set of CE metrics can be applied to support national policymakers in steering the transition – and in evaluating whether we have made the right decisions to support future CE development.

Similar Publications

27th May, 2025
circular economy
Report

Ten key technologies for Germany’s steel, cement, and chemical sectors. Commissioned by WWF Germany, this Systemiq-led study explores how circular economy technologies can significantly reduce the cost of achieving climate…

10th December, 2024
energy
Report

A new report from Systemiq and supported by Breakthrough Energy and the Energy Transitions Commission, “A Critical Raw Material Supply-Side Innovation Roadmap for the EU Energy Transition,” highlights the role…

5th December, 2024
materials
Report

Addressing embodied carbon in real estate – which represents around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions – is critical. Unlike green steel and cement, which face significant cost and technological barriers, timber has emerged as a mature and comparatively market-ready solution for reducing embodied carbon in construction, especially in the near-to-mid-term.

 
Divider

Sign up for systemiq updates

News about our projects and insights from our experts.








    I’m also interested in