What is the project about?

UNEP, with funding from the European Commission, is implementing a project to enhance countries' capacities for measuring progress on the transition towards a circular economy. The project initiated in January 2024, with a planned implementation period of three years.

This project aims to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy in the context of sustainable development by focusing on three areas: (i) development or enhancing methodologies at the global level, (ii) regional capacity building and dialogue between data users and producers, and (iii) enhancing national statistical capacities. The project also encourages internal capacity building within countries, emphasizing knowledge sharing to ensure sustainability. The ultimate goal is to inform evidence-based policies by regularly producing circular economy and waste datasets.

The deliverables of this project contain guidelines for measuring circular economy, regional workshops, national capacity building activities, and the development of methodology and guidelines for one selected waste stream, including pilot testing, dissemination and uptake.

A summary of the project and its activities can be found here.

Tools and training to build capacity of countries to measure, monitor and report on the SDG circular economy-related indicators

  • Guidelines for measuring circular economy will be developed based on the adopted core set of indicators.
  • Regional workshops are planned for Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean. They will focus on advancing the use of circular economy indicators in policymaking and supporting the participation among national SDG 12 indicators focal points to the Networks of government experts.
  • National capacity building activities will take place in six project beneficiary countries (two in each region) to enhance the collection and dissemination of relevant SDG indicators.

- More information coming soon -

Environmental SDG Indicators Online Course

MOOC - Environmental SDG indicators

As part of the previous capacity building project, UNEP created a self-paced e-learning course on the environmental SDG indicators in collaboration with UNSIAP and UNITAR. The course highlights the importance of monitoring the environmental dimension of sustainable development, its link to statistical frameworks, and the use of environment statistics in decision-making. The 25 SDG indicators under UNEP custodianship are covered in 10 modules. Module 3 'Measuring waste in the SDGs', Module 6 'Measuring material flows in the SDGs' and Module 7 'SCP interventions in the SDGs' are particularly relevant to build knowledge on ways to progress towards a circular economy. The course is available in English, Russian and French.

Identification and methodology development for one selected waste stream

  • Methodology and guidelines will be developed for one selected waste stream.
  • Pilot testing of the methodology and guidelines will be conducted in at least 3 project countries.
  • Dissemination and uptake of the methodology and guidelines will be achieved.

- More information coming soon -