Employment in the Circular Economy: Leveraging Circularity to Create Decent Work – Geneva Environment Network

Event Report: Launch of the Circular Jobs Global Baseline Report

Introduction: A Collaborative Effort for Sustainable Development

An event has been convened to launch the Circular Jobs Global Baseline Report. This seminal report is the product of a three-year collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO), Circle Economy Foundation, and the World Bank Group. This partnership exemplifies the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), uniting key international bodies to create data-driven tools for policymakers. The initiative’s primary objective is to facilitate a just and job-rich transition to a circular economy, directly contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Report Scope and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Global Employment Baseline and its Implications for SDG 8

The report establishes the first comprehensive global baseline of employment within the circular economy. Its analysis covers 177 countries and incorporates both formal and informal sectors. This extensive data is critical for designing evidence-based policies that promote full and productive employment and decent work for all, a core target of SDG 8. By quantifying the scale, structure, and characteristics of circular jobs, the report provides a foundational tool for nations to track progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive economic model.

Fostering a Just Transition Aligned with Multiple SDGs

The event and the report place significant emphasis on ensuring the transition to a circular economy is just and equitable, addressing several interconnected SDGs. Key focus areas include:

• Creation of Decent Jobs: Directly supports SDG 8 by focusing on job quality, not just quantity.
• Bolstering Sustainable Enterprises: Contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by promoting resilient and sustainable business models.
• Improving Conditions of Work: Aims to enhance labor rights and create safe working environments, reinforcing the tenets of SDG 8.
• Addressing the Informal Economy: By including the informal sector, the report provides insights relevant to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), ensuring vulnerable workers are not left behind.

Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue and Expert Perspectives

Panel Composition and Thematic Focus

The launch event will feature a panel of leading experts from diverse sectors, facilitating a multi-stakeholder dialogue in the spirit of SDG 17. The discussion will center on leveraging the report’s findings to accelerate progress on the SDGs. The panelists include:

1. Casper EDMONDS (ILO): Representing the focus on labor standards and decent work (SDG 8).
2. Esther GOODWIN-BROWN (Circle Economy): Highlighting circular economy models as a driver for SDG 12 and SDG 8.
3. Diana JUNQUERA CURIEL (IndustriALL Global Union): Providing a worker’s perspective on a just transition within industries (SDG 8).
4. Robert MARINKOVIC (International Organisation of Employers): Offering an employer’s viewpoint on creating sustainable enterprises (SDG 8, SDG 9).
5. Joaquim Bento DE SOUZA FERREIRA FILHO (University of São Paulo): Contributing academic insights into the economic dimensions of sustainability.
6. Namita DATTA (International Finance Corporation): Focusing on gender and economic inclusion, directly addressing SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
7. Steven STONE (UNEP): Discussing the broader green economy transition and inter-agency collaboration (SDG 17).
8. Kidus ASFAW (Kubik): Presenting an entrepreneurial perspective on innovation in sustainable infrastructure (SDG 9).

Logistical Information

Event Format and Registration

The event will be conducted in a hybrid format to ensure broad participation.

• In-person Attendance: Held at the ILO Building. Registration is required via a dedicated form.
• Online Attendance: Accessible via Webex. Prior registration is mandatory.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues related to jobs, economic transition, and environmental sustainability through the lens of the circular economy. Based on this, the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are addressed:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire event revolves around the launch of the “Circular Jobs Global Baseline Report,” which focuses on “employment,” “decent jobs,” “bolstering sustainable enterprises,” and “improving conditions of work.” The report’s aim to provide a baseline for employment, including in the “informal economy,” directly connects to promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The core concept discussed is the “circular economy.” A circular economy is a fundamental model for achieving sustainable consumption and production patterns. By measuring jobs within this sector, the report implicitly addresses the shift away from a linear (take-make-dispose) model towards one that reduces waste and promotes sustainability, which is the central goal of SDG 12.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article explicitly states that the report is a collaborative effort, “co-authored by the ILO, Circle Economy Foundation, and the World Bank Group.” This multi-stakeholder partnership, which also involves perspectives from “policymakers, employers, workers, startups, civil society and international organizations,” is a clear example of the collaboration required to achieve the SDGs, as outlined in SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

The article’s content points to several specific targets under the identified SDGs:

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.3: “Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises…” The article’s focus on a “job-rich transition,” “bolstering sustainable enterprises,” and providing data for “policymakers and decision-makers” directly supports this target. The report’s analysis of the “formal and informal economy” also relates to the goal of formalization.
   • Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men…” The report’s objective to establish a “global baseline of circular employment” and focus on “decent jobs” is a foundational step toward measuring progress on achieving productive employment in the growing circular economy sector.

2. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.5: “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.” The circular economy is the primary strategy to achieve this target. The report quantifies the employment in circular activities, which are essential for reducing waste, thereby providing a human-centered metric for the scale of the transition towards Target 12.5.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: “Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources…” The collaboration between the ILO, Circle Economy Foundation, and the World Bank is a perfect example of such a partnership.
   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The event itself, which invites “perspectives from policymakers, employers, workers, startups, civil society and international organizations,” demonstrates the promotion of a broad partnership to support the transition to a circular economy.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article is centered on the creation of a new evidence base, which directly implies the development and use of new indicators to measure progress.

• Implied Indicators for SDG 8

  The “Circular Jobs Global Baseline Report” itself is a new measurement tool. The indicators it provides are:

  • Global baseline of circular employment: A direct measure of the number of jobs created in the circular economy.
  • Estimates of the scale, structure, and characteristics of employment across circular economy activities: This implies a set of disaggregated data points that can be used as indicators, such as the proportion of formal vs. informal employment in the circular economy, which relates to the official SDG indicator 8.3.1 (“Proportion of informal employment in non-agriculture employment, by sex”).

• Implied Indicators for SDG 12

  While the article doesn’t mention direct environmental metrics like waste reduction tonnage, it implies an important socio-economic indicator for the transition:

  • Number and characteristics of jobs in the circular economy: This serves as a proxy indicator for the implementation and scaling of circular economy practices. A growth in these jobs would suggest progress towards the operationalization of activities (prevention, reduction, recycling, reuse) needed to meet Target 12.5.

• Implied Indicators for SDG 17

  The existence and outputs of the partnership serve as indicators of its effectiveness:

  • The “Jobs in the Circular Economy initiative” and the co-authored “Circular Jobs Global Baseline Report”: These are tangible outputs that serve as evidence of a functioning multi-stakeholder partnership that is successfully mobilizing and sharing knowledge, aligning with the intent of indicators under Target 17.16.

4. Summary Table of Findings

Source: genevaenvironmentnetwork.org