Call: Modelling the role of the circular economy for climate change mitigation

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Improve existing European and/or global climate mitigation models by better representation of basic industrial value chains (including reliable data) and potential mitigation technologies including the impact of circular economy.
• Improve the quantification of the impacts and potentials of the circular economy for climate change mitigation.
• Support the integration of the circular economy into climate action, policies and their evidence base, including externalities.
• Support the integration of the GHG emission reduction / mitigation in the circular economy criteria.

Scope:

Projects are to advance the understanding and modelling of the current and future potential contribution of the circular economy in Europe to GHG emissions reductions. The scope of the modelling activities has to go beyond the state-of-the-art, in particular in terms of sectors covered and their interrelations, be as comprehensive as possible (e.g. covering also the blue economy), and include citizen’s behaviours and engagement.

This action should look beyond the specific measures needed to deliver a circular economy and propose a framework for revealing, demonstrating and quantifying the circular economy’s potential contribution to climate goals, as well as improving the coverage of basic industry value and supply chains in models (or suites of models) used to analyse mitigation pathways. While focusing on the linkages between circular economy measures and climate goals, the action can also improve the understanding of the connections between climate action and other environmental areas and issues as well as social and health issues, in line with the systemic approach that the European Green Deal promotes.

Collaboration between the scientific community and policy- and decision-makers in order to integrate the circular economy into integrated assessment frameworks and other comprehensive climate policy visions is highly recommended. Actions should also ensure collaboration with industry stakeholders and civil society, including, for example, sharing best-practices, data, models and other knowledge required to analyse mitigation pathways to ensure the input of - and alignment with - the needs, values and expectations of society.

When dealing with models, actions should promote the highest standards of transparency and openness, as much as possible going well beyond documentation and extending to aspects such as assumptions, code and data that is managed in compliance with the FAIR principles. In particular, beneficiaries are strongly encouraged to publish results data in open access databases and/or as annexes to publications. In addition, full openness of any new modules, models or tools developed from scratch or substantially improved with the use of EU funding is expected.

Cross-cutting Priorities:

• EOSC and FAIR data
• Societal Engagement

eligible non-EU countries:

• countries associated to Horizon Europe

• low-and middle-income countries

Legal entities which are established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding if provided for in the specific call conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.

Specific cases:

• Affiliated entities - Affiliated entities are eligible for funding if they are established in one of the countries listed above.
• EU bodies - Legal entities created under EU law may also be eligible to receive funding, unless their basic act states otherwise.
• International organisations - International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. Unless their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority, other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’actions and when provided for in the specific call conditions.

Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions , legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes:

• at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State;and
• at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Open access to any new modules, models or tools developed from scratch or substantially improved with the use of EU funding under the action must be ensured through documentation, availability of model code and input data developed under the action.

Proposal page limits and layout:

The application form will have two parts:

• Part A to be filled in directly online  (administrative information, summarised budget, call-specific questions, etc.)
• Part B to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system

Page limit - Part B: 45 pages