Action Theme:
Scale Circularity and Resource Security
Action Theme at a Glance
Purpose: To help members use consistent data and metrics to scale circularity, address resource security, reduce exposure to price and supply shocks, and create business value.
Target Group: CSOs and sustainability leaders, supply chain and procurement leaders, strategy and risk teams, and product and innovation leaders.
Timeline: 2027-2029
Member Maturity: Further development of Global Circularity Protocol for Business (GCP) v2 and deliverable 2 (Pioneers); other elements of the work (Scalers).
Deliverables/Outputs: Adoption of the Global Circularity Protocol and v2 Development; Interoperable Data Standards for Circular Materials; and Building Secondary Materials Markets.
Purpose:
To help members use consistent data and metrics to scale circularity, address resource security, reduce exposure to price and supply shocks, and create business value.
How:
The Scale Circularity and Resource Security Action Theme helps members respond to resource insecurity, material price volatility, supply chain disruption and the need for more resilient growth. By measuring, managing and scaling circularity across operations, products and value chains, companies can improve access to materials, reduce resource dependencies, support product innovation, and advance climate and wider sustainable development goals.
The theme is especially relevant for CSOs, procurement and supply chain leaders, strategy and risk teams, product and innovation leaders, and sustainability leaders working to tie circularity to business performance and strengthen markets for secondary materials.
Together, members support the adoption and continued development of the Global Circularity Protocol for Business (GCP). They also develop tools for exchanging consistent material-level data, including “product material footprints,” as well as standardized approaches for measuring avoided resource use (for example, “avoided water”). This improves product-level transparency, strengthens market demand for technology innovations and expands collaboration through the Critical Materials Collective in which members can engage directly as a Solution Accelerator.
Through this theme, members are better positioned to secure secondary materials, reduce exposure to supply risks, develop more circular products, engage suppliers and customers, and embed circularity into operational performance and strategic decision-making.
Learn more about these planned 2027 deliverables in the September release:
Deliverable 1: Adoption of the Global Circularity Protocol and v2 Development
A baseline of GCP adoption across members, sector roundtables, a case-study library to accelerate uptake, and the co-design of GCP v2 with Pioneer members. The work will connect into the Embed Sustainability in Decision-Making Action Theme (via the Standards and Frameworks for Credible Action deliverable) and work closely with Policy & Insights.
Deliverable 2: Interoperable Data Standards for Circular Materials
Consequential accounting for avoided resource use, including reused materials and water-use innovations, alongside a product-level circularity data methodology that builds on PACT and supports digital product passports. Initial use cases may include tires and batteries.
Deliverable 3: Building Secondary Materials Markets
Applying and expanding the Critical Materials Collective to scale circular materials sourcing in additional markets and jurisdictions, with executive roundtables and an insight piece that make the resource-security case to investors, policymakers and regulators.
What is unique about this offer?
WBCSD is the home of the Global Circularity Protocol (GCP), which is being developed in partnership with over 150 experts from more than 80 organizations, including leading member companies, policymakers and scientific advisors. The GCP is the world’s first voluntary science-based, globally harmonized framework designed to help companies of all sizes measure, manage and communicate their circular performance and impacts across value chains. A third-party impact analysis found that the GCP could enable 100-120 billion ton of cumulative material savings by 2050. That’s equivalent to one year of current global material consumption. It could also avoid 67-76 gigatons of CO₂-equivalent emissions by 2050, or about 1.3 -1.5 times current annual global emissions. In addition, the Protocol could help businesses reach advanced circularity maturity levels twice as quickly, accelerating the benefits of circular business models by more than a decade. WBCSD’s unique positioning is based on its ability to combine practical enabling tools and market mechanisms to help companies scale circularity and use resources more efficiently. The Critical Materials Collective provides a unique business platform where members can expand access to secondary materials, test new sourcing and product strategies and identify opportunities for action in other key materials markets and jurisdictions.
If you have any questions reach out to:
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