The rising demand and limited supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) impair the ability to rapidly adopt technological change toward green and sustainable technologies, which directly affect the resilience of EU industries seeking to achieve Green Deal objectives for an equitable, zero-emission, and digitalized Europe. In response to these challenges, the European Commission aims to minimize the loss of secondary raw materials (SRM) and optimize their reuse across value chains. CE-RISE will develop and pilot an integrated framework and an ensuing resource information system to identify optimal solutions for the effective reuse, recovery, and/or recycling of materials by (a) defining a set of criteria (RE criteria) to evaluate the extent to which products and embedded components can be reused, repaired, refurbished and/or recycled; (b) incorporating information on RE criteria and material composition of products into the Digital product passport (DPP) to enable traceability of materials in the supply chain; (c) integrating DPP with information on the environmental footprint of products (PEF), socio-economic and environmental (SEE) impacts of RE processes; (d) enabling confidential and anonymized information sharing among actors throughout value chains; (e) providing open-access software application to disseminate information on the assessment of RE criteria, PEF and SEE impacts of products to all stakeholders including consumers and policymakers. The results will be piloted on four case studies. CE-RISE will contribute to bridging the digital divide in society by supplying affordable second-hand ICT devices, and supporting access to digital education and job opportunities. Ultimately, CE-RISE will foster a dynamic ecosystem geared toward prolonging the use of materials in the economy and stimulating circular business models to reduce waste generation while optimizing the reuse of SRMs.

CEE2ACT will empower countries in Central Eastern Europe and beyond (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia) - CEE2ACT target countries - to develop circular bioeconomy strategies and action plans through knowledge transfer and innovative governance models enabling sustainability and resilience to achieve better informed decision-making processes, societal engagement and innovation, building on the practice of experienced countries serving as role models in this context (Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden). Knowledge transfer and inspiration in creative formats that address the motivations, needs and knowledge gaps of each CEE2ACT target country will be realized through the CEE2ACT National Bioeconomy Hubs. A participatory, non-political, bottom-up approach will be applied throughout the project activities, tackling specific knowledge gaps and shortcomings of the top-down conventional approach, building closer interconnections between actors across public institutions, private sector, industry, energy, SMEs, feedstock providers (e.g., waste, side streams, farmers, foresters, fishermen), academia and research, NGOs, CSOs in the target countries. To achieve this, a baseline assessment will be carried out (socio-economic and environmental aspects), stakeholder engagement activities will be implemented ensuring the proper involvement and active participation of all relevant stakeholders. Digital solutions for sustainable governance will be created, exchange of know-how and best practices on technology transfer, building the capacities of the stakeholders to develop bioeconomy strategies. The findings will be synthetized, in an analytical framework, which will result in National-level Roadmaps for the Bioeconomy Strategies in Targeted CEE2ACT countries, boosting societal engagement in the countries’ transition towards circular bioeconomy.

Through our consumption behaviour we, individuals, are responsible for 72 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions. These are created by the way we live, travel, and eat and by what we buy. So far, the attempts to change people's habits by appealing to their rationale have not produced significant behaviour change. Aiming to help close the action gap between climate awareness and individual action, and to increase citizen participation in sustainability topics, the project builds a data-driven momentum for sustainable behaviour change across eight European countries. It does this by engaging citizens through a digital application to co-research, co-develop and uptake everyday life solutions for climate change, providing tools for the collection, monitoring and analysis of their environmental and consumption data. In the application, the citizens find out how their lifestyle and habits impact the environment. They will also see a list of smart everyday actions that are relevant to reduce their environmental impact. The application enables citizens to actively create data while monitoring their lifestyle induced climate impact and behaviour. The collected data will be used to improve the application itself, and, importantly to empower citizens to gain agency in research and policy-making. The ambition is to engage a total of four million EU citizens. The figure is based on the previous national success with a web-based carbon emission calculator, which is innovated further with the use of citizen science, by co-research at living labs, co-creating personalized sustainability plans, as well as with the integration of behaviour science knowledge into the co-research and design process. The overarching goal of PSLifeStyle is to co-create a web- and mobile-based sustainable lifestyle tool and open platform, that will enable, empower and encourage European citizens to take their personalized steps towards more sustainable lifestyles.

CCRI CoPs' goal is to strengthen and complement the CCRI, in order to foster the implementation of Circular Systemic Solutions (CSS) in European cities and regions. Based on an initial scoping and needs assessment, the project will set up at least eight Communities of Practice – working groups of ambitious European cities and regions collaborating on key topics related to circular economy implementation. The project will also deepen the CCRI knowledge on circular economy, with the production of highly impactful case studies on CSS, a series of white papers on key Research & Innovation (R&I) gaps, guidance documents for practitioners at the local and regional level, as well as recommendations for EU and national policy makers, to unlock barriers faced local and regional authorities. By establishing a series of mechanisms such as capacity building sessions, study visits and a twinning program, the project will stimulate knowledge transfer, pear learning and capacity building towards an audience of cities and regions, including but not limited to CCRI Pilots and Fellows. The consortium will also provide continued support to the CCRI’s Thematic Working Groups (TWGs). All dissemination and communication activities will use the CCRI existing umbrella identity and existing communication channels. The project will endeavour to strengthen links with the European ecosystem and to promote the circular economy towards all European cities and regions. Those activities will be done in close coordination with the CCRI-CSO and DG RTD, to take advantage of potential synergies and importantly to prevent any overlaps and duplications with the work of the CSO. Led by ICLEI Europe, the project brings together 11 leading organisations active throughout Europe and with considerable expertise and experience in supporting cities and regions’ sustainability transition.