WASHINGTON, DC, AMSTERDAM, NL  — Five international organizations with a shared vision to enable the rapid and just transition towards a regenerative and equitable economy are announcing the launch of the Circular City Coalition. 

PYXERA Global, Metabolic, Enel North America, Rheaply, and First Mile have formed the Circular City Coalition (CCC) to focus on action and implementation in laying the foundation for a circular economy, including through a new circular innovation ecosystem fund.  

Cities occupy only 3% of Earth’s land surface, but they consume 75% of our resources while producing 60-80% of our total greenhouse gas emissions. With 55% of the world’s population living in cities and that number continuing to grow, urban environments are where some of the greatest inequities occur. By initiating a regenerative and equitable transition in urban hubs, the CCC can collectively tackle the issues at scale and with urgency. 

“Our mission is to design out these environmental, social, and economic issues simultaneously, rather than one at a time, and to help bring regenerative and equitable solutions to scale in cities across the world,” said Deirdre White, CEO of PYXERA Global. 

Composed of leading INGOs, MNCs, Social Enterprises, and circular start-ups, the CCC is driven by the spirit of collaboration needed to build a better world — starting with helping cities transform and enabling all communities to thrive. Together, the five organizations are experts in the field, boasting a global reach from 34 offices on six continents. They have advised more than 60 governments and cities on circular economy and climate policy, and have collectively facilitated and implemented multi-stakeholder programs representing local community interests in more than 110 countries. 

“Cities are a powerful leverage point because of their immense resource use and concentrated populations,” says Eva Gladek, CEO and founder of Metabolic, which has proven experience working with coalitions to redesign cities. “That’s exactly why we have been engaging with cities for the past 10 years. If we restructure the economy towards a circular model, these resources can be the bedrock of a new economy, with more resilience, more jobs, and less environmental impact. We are working towards breaking down the financial barriers and creating enabling conditions to push the transformation, and tackle multiple problems at once, from inequality to pollution to resource management.” 

From Krakow (Poland) to São Paulo (Brazil), and from Cleveland, Ohio (US) to Amsterdam (The Netherlands), cities across the globe are co-designing blueprints that provide the necessary mix of legislation and strategy to enable regenerative and equitable transitions towards the circular economy. 

While there is a strong consensus to move these strategies from theory into practice, several roadblocks are stifling meaningful progress, including: 

Using the Circular Innovation Ecosystem philosophy, the CCC will tackle these issues by creating a regenerative fund in and for cities across the world. The philosophy ties circular economy investments and innovation to impact outcomes through four key elements: