UCL at the forefront of the world’s first UN-backed centre for circular economy research

• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) member states choose the UK to establish the world’s first International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy 

• The centre will leverage UCL expertise alongside four other academic institutions to explore circularity in areas such as metals, construction and critical minerals 

• Sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency will be developed to enable the transition to a greener future 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has today announced the formal opening in the UK of the first United Nations-backed International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy, from April 2024.   

UCL will be one of the five collaborating UK institutions leading this Centre, building on the successes of the £8M UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Mineral-Based Construction Materials led by Prof. Julia Stegemann from the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (CEGE) since 2021, and UCL CircEL (the Circular Economy Laboratory), the UCL-wide hub for research and education in Circular Economy founded in 2015. 

The new centre, which is also comprised of Exeter University, Brunel University, Swansea University and the British Geological Society, will develop sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency to enable carbon reduction and the transition to a greener future. The UK will help countries across the world to maximise the environmental and economic opportunities the circular economy offers. 

Leveraging their collective expertise, the centre will explore circularity in areas such as metals, construction and critical minerals to develop effective data, technological innovation, finance models and policy. The five participating institutions have together contributed £1.85 million to fund the centre’s technical activities.  

In a circular economy, resources are kept in use for as long as possible, rather than being taken from the earth, used once and disposed of in landfill. Circular economy practices benefit society by improving industrial efficiency, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts from raw material extraction and waste disposal.  

Prof. Julia Stegemann said: 

“We are delighted to be collaborating with four other excellent institutions to help countries around the world achieve the UN sustainable development goals, by developing the environmental and economic opportunities that the circular economy offers.

Resources Minister Robbie Moore MP said: 

This is real recognition of the UK’s global leadership in sustainable resource management and testament to Britain’s world-leading academic expertise.  

We are delighted to host this centre, enabling our cutting-edge UK academics to develop the tools and research that will help countries across the world seize the opportunities of the circular economy, leading the way in the transition to a greener future.

UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean said: 

Making the use of our resources more sustainable and moving towards a circular economy is fundamental to sustainable development and climate action. Partnerships mobilising international expertise play an important role in UN cooperation to develop and share best practices. I welcome the establishment of this new Centre of Excellence, with its focus on circularity of metals, construction and critical raw materials.

Today’s announcement will help drive the UK’s world-leading efforts to protect the environment and improve its use of resources.  

  Notes

1. The new centre will join a small number of other UNECE-backed International Centres for Excellence in Sustainable Resource Management. The UK will be the first to focus on the circular economy. 

2. The project represents a collaboration between UNECE, the UK Government, UKRI (NERC), UCL, Exeter University, Brunel University, Swansea University and the British Geological Survey. The centre draws heavily on the success of many of these partners in the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) R&D programme (https://ce-hub.org/nicer-programme/). 

3. The project plan for the centre presented to UNECE member States is available at: https://unece.org/excom-meetings-2006-2016/events/130th-meeting. Item 5, 2023/36.