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Circle Economy and ICLEI have partnered up to initiate the go to knowledge hub of case studies about the circular economy in cities. The Cities Collection is a repository of case studies that demonstrate the role of cities in the circular transition, and includes policies, business cases and research articles. Cases in the Collection flow into an ecosystem of digital products which support users in transitioning cities to circularity, for example [Ganbatte](https://ganbatte.world/cities/) and <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/" target="_blank">ICLEI Circulars</a>, both part of the <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/circle-lab-for-cities/" target = _blank">Circle Lab for Cities Programme.</a>

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Circular Cities

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Article / Report

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Contributing to the improvement of biodiversity including species diversity, total number of protected species, and ecosystem health

Biodiversity

Societal Services

Providing public and private education and support services at any level or for any profession, and governmental and public administration services, including judicial, regulatory, and legislative activities, taxation, defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and the administration of government programmes

Education and Government Services

Provide guidance or professional training to educate employees to use circular economy principles

Training on the circular economy

Integrate principles of circularity into primary, secondary and tertiary curriculum and conduct workplace trainings

 Education and Curriculum

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

 Convene Towards Action

Advocate for circular change

Raise awareness and run information campaigns about  strategies for and impacts of the circular economy in different contexts.

Communication and awareness

 Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks and disseminate findings with integrity


Strengthen and advance knowledge

Redesign systems to lay the foundation for circular activities and enable the transition to a circular economy 

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Rethink

Facilitate cross-collaboration by engaging city departments, industries and businesses on ambitious, closed-loop circular projects.

Support closed-loop systems and cross-sectoral synergies

Includes a variety of actions (e.g. campaigns, information sharing, public events) that encourage city residents and visitors to build sustainable practices into their daily lives

Enable sustainable lifestyles

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.



🍏 Food Systems

Businesses

Communities

Governments

Much of the world’s croplands are situated within peri-urban areas, yet this food is often not consumed in its neighbouring urban area, rather it is exported and consumed vast distances away. By strengthening links with food producers in surrounding peri-urban and urban areas, to create city-region food systems, cities can influence the way food is produced and how resources are managed. For example, reconnecting cities with their local food production can create local economies, encourage local seasonal diets, denser local transport networks, and even support regenerative techniques that support native crop varieties. This in conjunction with trade supports a more distributed system that relies on a diverse range of suppliers, and can cycle nutrients from food wastes back to the surrounding ecosystem. 

To foster city-region food systems, local governments can engage and convene stakeholders along the local food chain, from farmers, to logistics companies, to jointly envision the path to a local circular food system. This can be facilitated through the creation of platforms to connect local stakeholders. The City can also stimulate the use of regionally and regeneratively produced foods through, for example, rewarding best practices, and raising public awareness through campaigns. 


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🍏  Strengthen urban-rural links within the food system

The industrial production and consumption of meats and animal-based products places increasing pressures on land- and water-use, and is a driving cause of global greenhouse gas emissions. Local governments can play an important role in encouraging residents to shift towards local and plant-based diets that can improve the health of the planet, as well as residents and local economies if the food is sourced regionally.

For example, local governments can help to raise the awareness of the positive ecological and health impacts of a locally sourced and plant-based diet through information campaigns in the city. Local governments can improve access to locally produced plant-based foods throughout the city by allocating space for, and supporting local markets and suppliers. To lead by example, canteens managed by the public sector, for example, in schools and municipal offices, can develop menus that offer plant-based and seasonal choices. 


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🍏  Seasonal plant based diets

Impacts

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Industries

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A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policies

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

In the developed world, organic foods are trendy and often expensive. In the West African country of Senegal, a group of farmers growing food without pesticides or chemicals say it is good for the earth. They say their products can stand up against traditionally grown vegetables not just in quality, but in price, too. Voice of America's Jordan Davis reports from Thies, Senegal. 
Under the midday sun, farmers draw water from the well to keep plants healthy during the dry season.  What they will not put into the soil, though, are industrial fertilizers. On this organic farm, some of the most productive workers are not even human, says farmer Cheikh Sen. The papaya tree roots work the soil, he says, providing nutrients.  And instead of using pesticides, farmers try to attract more help from the skies above. Sen says the birds come and eat insects. Insects that might otherwise ruin crops. These farmers on the outskirts of Thies made a choice to grow without chemicals. And their products have found a market, albeit a small one.  Every Saturday, their crops are hauled into town for Senegal?s only regular weekly organic market.  It is run by Agrecol Afrique, a local NGO advocating locally-grown organic foods.  Agrecol?s Mossane Ndour Gning says growers and customers meet to work out prices, "If prices are out of reach of many people, then there will be an elite that can afford it and the rest will be left behind." 
Marketgoer Aissatou Gueye is shopping for her family dinner. She says prices here are not expensive. And plus, she says, the food is healthier. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization in the capital Dakar has been promoting growing healthy food for several years, adapting the techniques of organic farmers for urban dwellers.  Though the organic movement is still small, the FAO?s Aminata Mbaye says there is a growing consciousness among Senegalese about what is in their food, "It is obvious that if people have the means, they want the best quality." 
Outside Thies, Cheikh Sen says there is no chance he will begin using traditional methods. He says the land itself is so powerful you do not need anything else. 




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 The city of Dakar faces an unprecedented population increase, which brings along increased health and nutritional vulnerabilities. Although the Municipality strives to improve the quality and living conditions of its people, it is becoming increasingly challenging to grow healthy and high-quality crops where cultivated areas are becoming increasingly scarce. As this case study shows, micro-gardening has proved to be an alternative and sustainable food system for a population facing poverty and food insecurity. The project described here is the result of decentralized cooperation between the cities of Dakar and Milan, with FAO and the NGO ACRA as strategic partners. What is the innovation? How does it work? Micro gardens are small, simple, inexpensive production units suited to high-density urban neighborhoods. Given the lack of suitable production spaces in the urban area, micro gardening in Dakar consists of growing food literally on the market tables. Recovered materials are used for micro-gardening:  Crop trays are made with wooden pallets used to import potatoes and onions; The substrate consists of recovered peanut husks and rice straw; Old utensils, tires, bottles, seals are all reused.  The benefit is tangible because micro gardens are real green lungs for the capital of Senegal, whose landscape is dominated by concrete. With the Micro Gardening programme, the City of Dakar is also developing a concept of a green city that is able to successfully adapt to the consequences of climate change and the scarcity of agricultural land. The programme also aims to contribute to regreening the capital. In a city where vegetation is particularly absent, the social and health benefits of expanding micro gardening is extremely important. Below are some of the key features of the programme and the benefits of micro gardening in Dakar:  12 Training and Demonstration Centers (CFDs) installed; 24 micro gardening trainers educated, 18 women and 6 men, specifically trained also to train others. 9,694 beneficiaries so far with 83% women and 17% men; 26 elementary schools around micro gardening formed; Collective catering with micro garden products organised for vulnerable groups such as elderly people and women have improved their quality of life thanks to the availability of fresh vegetables at a reasonable price; Improvement of diet for sick women affected by diabetes, anemia, obesity etc; Vegetable deficiencies of detainees in correctional facilities reduced through improved diet; Increased consumption of vegetables among students and young people with disabilities; Micro gardening is also a source of income, in addition to enabling a more complete and healthy diet; It requires little investment because it uses recycled material and local products; The yields obtained from micro gardening are generally higher than those obtained with traditional gardening, and also of superior quality.   Next steps  The Micro Gardening programme is integrated into the city's master plan. The city government aims to support the beneficiaries with the acquisition of agricultural equipment and the establishment of a purchase center for the project actors’ association, which needs additional funding to improve its productivity. A key concern is especially the availability of required agricultural equipment, which is momentarily not possible to find on the local market. Links to further information  www.fao.org/senegal/fr Dakar: Creating micro-gardens using recycled materials Contact details Ms. Ndeye Ndack Pouye Mbodj Coordinator of the Micro Gardening Project of the City of Dakar Tel: 00221 77 652 63 89 Email: pouyend@yahoo.fr 

Although Senegal has one of the most stable economies in West Africa, it also has high rates of poverty and unemployment—around half of the population lives below the poverty line. Senegal struggles with high rates of maternal and infant mortality, malaria, and other diseases, but the national health system is not equipped to provide services for those in need, especially in rural areas. These underserved populations are at greater risk for malnutrition and related illnesses.
► Sign up to save lives in Senegal and around the world.
We provide broad emergency response to the nutrition crisis that has affected the border areas of northern Senegal and southern Mauritania, especially the pastoral populations. We coordinate the response with the main humanitarian actors in the country, and we are implementing several emergency projects in the northern provinces of Matam, Podor and Louga.
In 2019, northern areas of Senegal experienced a severe food security crisis. In particular, in the three northern departments, more than 300,000 people were threatened by severe food insecurity during the famine season between June and September.
In addition to the support delivered in the northern region, Action Against Hunger teams continued to focus on the implementation of research initiatives such as SAM Photo Diagnosis or employment projects in Dakar.


 Despite significant economic growth and decades of political stability, Senegal still faces serious development challenges. More than one third of the population lives below the poverty line, and 75 percent of families suffer from chronic poverty.
Poverty and food insecurity are particularly prevalent in rural areas in the north, east and south of the country. The agriculture sector is dominated by subsistence farming, with limited access to good quality seeds and fertilizers, technology, finance and credit, agricultural insurance and post-harvest storage techniques.  Reliance on traditional, unsustainable practices – including overgrazing and bush fires – contributes to land degradation. Climate change is also closely related to rural poverty and under-development: with 70 percent of the crops being rain-fed, the sector is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, which have severe impacts on the availability and prices of food.   The lack of employment and business opportunities in agriculture is a driver of migration, which leads to urbanization and emigration. Those left behind, especially women, children and the elderly, are particularly exposed to food insecurity and other risks.
Gender disparities remain widespread in the country, especially in rural areas where traditional and religious practices like early and forced marriage cause girls to drop out of school, reduce their productivity and perpetuate the cycle of inequality.
The World Food Programme (WFP) works to build the resilience of rural communities to climate change and enable smallholder farmers – including women –  to earn a living on their lands. WFP targets the poorest regions, integrating its activities to build resilience, with its flagship ‘home grown school feeding’ programme serving as a central entry point for a suite of nutrition, disaster risk reduction and local procurement programmes implemented in the same localities to maximize impact. WFP works closely with the Government of Senegal, complementing its social safety nets and strengthening capacities at all levels to allow for a progressive handover of programmes.  

Africa

Senegal

Dakar

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

In collaboration with The United Nations&nbsp;Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the government of Senegal, the Municipality of Dakar and NGOs launched a project for micro-gardening to combat food insecurity and develop a strategy for sparse agricultural space. Since the implementation of the project in 1999, the project was relaunched several times until now. The perception of the educational potential of vegetable gardens has changed, and they are given new roles, such as promoting varied and balanced diets, learning about agriculture, and raising awareness about the environment.

Dakar supports closed-loop local food systems through Micro Gardening

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This collection has been built by a community of passionate researchers, students, and industry professionals as part of <a href="https://worldcirculartextilesday.com/" target="_blank">World Circular Textiles Day</a> (WCTD). 


World Circular Textiles Day takes place every year on 8th October. Our vision is to galvanise the collective ambitions and goals of people, organisations and businesses to reach a fully circular textiles world by 2050. Our mission is to provide a framework for circularity stakeholders to develop and deliver a collaborative, evolving roadmap and to chart circularity’s momentum annually from the 8th of October until 2050.

What does fully circular by 2050 mean?
- Shared textile resources, in the form of products and raw materials, are kept in **continual circulation**.
- Virgin resources are **replaced with circular materials**.
- Dignity, equity, and equality for the **people** involved in all parts of the circular value chain.

We need to know where we stand today to chart how to get to 100% Circularity by 2050. What circular activity is currently happening in the textiles and apparel industry, and where in the world is it happening? The WCTD Collection aims to answer this question by building the world’s largest digital library of circular textiles case studies. 

World Circular Textiles Day is proud to be supported by our 2022-23 Circular Hero Partners:
[Lenzing](https://www.lenzing.com/), [Texaid](https://retailsolutions.texaid.com/), [Bank & Vogue](https://www.bankvogue.com/), [Usha yarns limited](https://ushayarns.com/), [The Conduit](https://www.theconduit.com/), and [Asia Pacific Rayon](https://www.aprayon.com/en/)

## Want to contribute to the WCTD Collection? Sign up and add your circular textiles activities.

World Circular Textiles Day

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Rampant material extraction is pushing the ecosystems of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to their limits. Over 11% of global raw materials are extracted within the region, yet it represents only about 8% of the world's population.

[*The Circularity Gap Report* (CGR) Latin America and the Caribbean](https://www.circularity-gap.world/lac), a first of its kind, demonstrates how the region can leverage the circular economy to tackle systemic inefficiencies in satisfying societal needs, conserve its unique natural wealth, and improve its people’s well-being.

To devise pathways for a circular transition, the report analysed the sectors where circular interventions could yield the most positive impact—environmentally, economically, and socially. This entails shifting to a circular food system, building a circular built environment, advancing circular manufacturing, transforming the energy system, reducing waste generation, and improve waste cycling.

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities, and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032. Through the Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative, our mission is to deliver Circularity Metrics that measure the state of the global and national economy and identify key levers to transition to circularity. 

Latin America Collection

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Policy case

Contribution to social parity, or impact on social disparity

Equality

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Working together with stakeholders and parties in other unrelated industries to implement circular economy strategies and opportunities

Cross-industry projects, pilots

Engaging in discussions with industry stakeholders to share circular economy best practices and push the industry towards greater circularity

Guidance, dialogue with industry stakeholders

Engaging in discussions with government bodies and policymakers to push for regulations that support the circular economy

Advocacy for circular economy policy

Participating in government programmes that support and advance the circular economy

Government programmes

Facilitate discussions and meetings between internal team members to identify circular opportunities

Dialogue with internal stakeholders

Integrating circular economy thinking into employee evaluations that are tied to professional compensation

Financial incentives tied to circular economy

Solidify definitions and create frameworks to support the understanding of the circular economy across contexts and maintain cohesive systems of data sharing, processing and storing.


 Knowledge Management

Research and facilitate new technological developments to aid the transition to a circular economy.

Research and Development

VISION:
People are valued and supported in an equitable, socially just and resilient society.

DETAIL:
Imagine a time when…people and communities are at the heart of any sustainable and circular system. The planet thrives, enabling us to survive with balance and abundance. People are no longer passive consumers, but proactive participants. The ‘makers’ who design, build, reprocess and recirculate products throughout the value chain are treated equally and are equitable partners in shaping and benefitting from the system. Textiles/garments can be produced and repurposed locally as well as centrally. A blend of craft methods alongside more automated production provides regionalised, multi-faceted perspectives and fulfilling livelihoods, be they high- or low-tech. Wealth gaps are minimised and dignity, equity, equality is a reality for all.

People and Society

CE Materials

Materials

Nace Sectors

Topics

Urban Opportunities

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

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A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

80+ circular strategies for product development 
organised hierarchically into three tiers
with tier 1 and tier 2 based on the Key Elements Framework

DISRUPT

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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     The Higg Index is a suite of tools for the standardized measurement of value chain sustainability, and it is central to the SAC’s mission to transform businesses for exponential impact.  
      To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video        It is comprised of a core set of five tools that together assess the social and environmental performance of the value chain and the environmental impacts of products, including the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM), Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), and
Higg Product Module (PM).
Across topics such as water use, carbon emissions, and labor conditions, consumer goods brands, retailers, manufacturers, governments, NGOs, and consumers can use the Higg Index to inform their individual sustainability strategies and drive collective industry transformation. We developed the methodologies of the Higg Index over ten years using the latest scientific research, in partnership with SAC members, consultants, stakeholders,
and industry experts.  
Register to use the Higg Index Tools                      Life cycle assessment tools that give insights into environmental impacts of producing materials and products
Tools included: Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI); Higg Product Module (PM)
Purpose: To understand environmental impacts of different production choices when designing a product
Who uses them: Sustainability analysts, material and product developers
What they measure: 5 environmental impacts  
   Assessments that give insights into social and environmental performance of facilities
Tools included: Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM); Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM)
Purpose: To identify opportunities for continuous sustainability improvement in facilities
Who uses them: Manufacturers
What they measure: 7 environmental and 9 social management categories  
   An assessment that gives insights into social and environmental performance of brands and retailers
Tools included: Higg Brand and Retail Module (BRM)
Purpose: To identify opportunities for continuous sustainability improvement in company operations
Who uses them: Brands and retailers
What they measure: 11 environmental and 16 social management categories  
         As an SME motivated by the ticking clock of climate change, we cannot spend our time re-inventing the wheel. Thanks to the collective knowledge present in the Higg Index tools and the generosity of the SAC community, we have been able to develop a deeper understanding of our impacts and take corrective action quickly.     DUNCAN COULTER, SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, RAPHA  
   The SAC is continuously working to create comprehensive, credible, and scalable verification programs for each of the Higg index tools to improve the accuracy of the data reported. Verification improves the consistency, comparability, and credibility of Higg data. It also reduces the need for multiple, proprietary audits for facilities so that resources can be used in other areas, such as performance improvement.
To support the accurate measurement of environmental and social impacts using the Higg Index, the SAC is creating verification programs for each Higg tool. This is an essential part of the Higg framework because verified data provides companies with the trusted information they seek.  
        Verification Quick Facts

 The Higg FEM verification program is available at scale in 100 countries
 Through the Social & Labor Convergence Program, Higg FSLM verification is offered in 30 countries worldwide
The SAC will be releasing the Higg BRM Verification Program at scale in 2021
Higg Product Tools (Higg MSI and Higg PM) primary data is vetted by our third party gatekeeper and secondary data is independently peer reviewed
  
         Every year, average FEM scores consistently improve, indicating a meaningful benefit to the
industry and our planet.
Facilities that invest in year-over-year completion of the FEM, that also take the extra step of verifying their results, are proven to have the largest average score increases. This demonstrates that when facilities are consistently submitting verified FEM results, they are seeing the greatest improvements. For example, the 245 facilities that consecutively completed verification for the past three cycles show the largest score improvements, increasing scores by an average 22% every year.  
        While the number of verified assessments for Higg FEM increases every year, there is still room for growth. For the past two cycles, more than 20% of facilities that completed the FEM went through the process of verification. As more global facilities complete and verify the FEM and other Higg assessments, we will continue to get a clearer understanding of the industry’s environmental performance. Increased participation in verification will improve industry-wide transparency and help companies identify opportunities
for improvement and collective action.  
   Learn about our Higg FEM Verifier & Trainer Program managed by Sumerra. Apply to be a verifier or trainer.  
   Leveraging our industry-leading methodology, tools, and data, we’re excited to partner with our members and partners on a journey toward full product transparency.
In the last decade, worldwide interest in sustainability has grown, and today consumers are demanding greater accountability and transparency from brands and retailers. Transparency is one of the four core focus areas in our new strategic plan. By 2025, we’re aiming to have all SAC members participate in public-facing ratings of sustainable performance that are credible and trusted. To meet this goal, our work in 2021 and beyond will focus on developing a framework and standard for Higg Index performance publication, communication, and
marketing use available for all core Higg tools.  
Learn more about the SAC’s transparency work
         The Higg suite of tools offers critical insights that will help inform our overall global sustainability strategy. When implemented across the apparel and footwear industry, the tools provide a vehicle for collective action toward a future of lower impact and total supply chain transparency.     MATT HAMILTON, DIRECTOR SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS, VF CORPORATION  
  

    The project seeks to promote enhanced legislation and policies, to address the basic needs and rights of children engaged or at risk of child labour, and of victims of forced labour, while adopting an integrated area based approach, embedded in a value chain approach including cooperation with local industry and international buyers.      Partners Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development; Ministry of National Food Security and Research; Provincial Labour and Agriculture Departments; employers’ and workers’ organizations; UN Agencies; civil society organisations; Pakistan Buyers’ Forum; cooperatives and media Implementing agencies ILO and FAO Target beneficiaries Children and their families working at any level of the cotton, garment and textile production chains; victims of forced labour and workers at risk of forced labour; relevant federal and provincial ministries and governmental departments; employers’ and workers’ organizations; enterprises, and media. Geographical focus - Nationwide in Pakistan - with a focus on cotton producing districts of Sindh and Punjab provinces. - At the global level, the project also covers Burkina Faso, Mali and Peru in addition to Pakistan. Pakistan is the fourth leading producer of cotton in the world with a significant growth potential1-2. The textile industry contributes nearly one-fourth of industrial value-added and provides employment to about 40% of industrial labour force3. Textile products constitutes 62% of the national exports and the sector contributes 8.5% towards national GDP4 Child labour and forced labour are both present in the supply chain across the globe including in Pakistan where cotton production processes are labour intensive and/or dominated by small-holder farms or by tenancy and sharecropping. Child labour is also a particular issue for certain parts of the textile-garment industry because most of the producers requires low-skilled labour and short time delivery. In the cotton, textile and garment value chains, there are indicators of forced labour, such as bonded labour, withholding wages, restriction of movement, excessive overtime, abusive working and living conditions involving also adolescent labourers. This project aims at contributing to the elimination of all forms of child labour and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment value chains. It seeks to promote enhanced national legislation and policies, to address the basic needs and rights of children engaged or at risk of child labour, and victims of forced labour. The project combines integrated area-based and value chain approaches to cooperate with governments, social partners, local farmers, communities industries, and international buyers.  Map the cotton, textile and garment value chains with focus on child labour and forced labour and other fundamental principles and rights at work; Collect qualitative and quantitative data on the prevalence of child labour and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment value chains; Review the policy, legal and regulatory framework at federal and provincial levels in line with the International Labour Standards, to identify gaps and provide concrete recommendations through tripartite frameworks; Strengthen the institutional capacity of the country through their formal compliance mechanisms for the elimination of child labour and forced labour in the supply chain; Strengthen the capacity of employers’ and workers’ organizations in eliminating child labour and forced labour and cotton, textile and garment production workers to exercise their right to freedom of association and other fundamental rights at work; Develop proposals for the mainstreaming of child labour and forced labour issues into existing policies and social programmes and validate them by key stakeholders. Develop gender-responsive community-based multi-stakeholder monitoring and remedial mechanisms to combat child labour and forced labour; Support due diligence initiatives and grievance mechanisms concerning child labour and forced labour along the value chain; Strengthen livelihoods of vulnerable families and good agricultural practices that are emphatic on not engaging children in child labour and on identifying alternative practices; Raise awareness on child labour and forced labour in cotton, textile and garment value chains; Develop model youth and women employment schemes and their supporting functions; Improve children’s access to education in cotton production areas.   Legislation, regulations, policies and programmes at the federal and provincial levels are strengthened to combat child labour and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment sector Local governments, public services providers, and other relevant stakeholders take effective action to stop child labour and forced labour in target cotton growing districts and communities and garment/textiles factories.    1 - http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey_1617.html   2 - https://www.ilo.org/ipec/Informationresources/WCMS_IPEC_PUB_29655/lang--en/index.htm   3 - http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey_1617.html     

Peru

Pakistan

Burkina Faso

Mali

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EU Development Cooperation Instrument 

International Labour Organisation

Cotton is one of the world’s most widely grown crops, is heavily used within the textiles industry, and is an important agricultural commodity. For many countries, it is a source of great economic growth and employment. However, child and forced labour within the industry is a severe example of the systematic challenges and exploitative working conditions connected to the lack of sustainability and transparency within the textile and apparel supply chains.&nbsp;

The Clear Cotton Project: Eliminating child and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment chains

Gone with the Waste

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Circular food systems entail that the food is produced regeneratively and, where appropriate, locally. Food and packaging waste are designed out entirely, while healthy, low-impact diets are promoted and easy to access. 

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a not-for-profit organisation working to accelerate the circular transition. Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. With nature as our guide, we work alongside cross-sector stakeholders from academia, businesses, NGOs and governments to provide a powerful combination of practical and scalable interventions that transform circular opportunities into realities. 

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Circular Food

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Limes and lemons - Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

The 2019 edition of the FAO's State of Food and Agriculture report focuses on food losses and waste and provides new estimates of the world’s food post-harvest up to, but excluding, the retail level. Addressing policy makers, the report also offers a comprehensive analysis of the critical loss points in specific supply chains and provides examples on appropriate measures for an effective reduction.