ETC CE Report 2026/5 A just transition to a circular economy: Operational framework and indicators

21 Apr 2026

Burcu Gözet, Emanuele di Francesco, Giacomo Sebis, Wim Van Opstal, Adrien Specker, Shahrzad Manoochehri, Livia El-Khawad

This ETC CE report provides the detailed analysis underpinning the EEA briefing ‘Just transition to a circular economy - European Environment Agency (europa.eu)’

Understanding the social implications of circular strategies is crucial for a fair and inclusive transition. Achieving a just transition in the context of a circular economy, however, remains a complex and multifaceted social issue. While the preceding ETC CE report, “A Just Transition to a Circular Economy: Exploring Current and Potential Social Implications for the Value Chains of Batteries, Plastics, and Textiles,” conceptualized an approach to a just circular economy, the following report translates these insights into an operational framework. Mapping justice dimensions across key stakeholder groups reveals an imbalanced coverage of social impacts: indicators related to workers and consumers are relatively prevalent, whereas those addressing local communities, value chain actors, and society at large remain scarce. An analysis of potential indicators further highlights that indicators capturing informal labour, Indigenous rights, cultural heritage, and social inclusion in decision-making face persistent methodological and data gaps and that recognitional and systemic dimensions are largely underrepresented. The report concludes that a sector-sensitive approach, with indicators tailored to the R-strategies in each sector, is indispensable for monitoring a just transition to a circular economy. It thereby underscores the need for better data and methods as well as clear institutional commitment and participatory governance.