From models to impact: Final event highlights how circular economy can accelerate Europe’s net-zero transition
Brussels, 28 May 2026 – Researchers, policymakers, and sustainability experts gathered in Brussels for “Modelling to Policy: Circular Economy Pathways Towards Net-Zero”, the joint final event of the Horizon Europe projects CIRCOMOD, CircEUlar, and CO2NSTRUCT. Marking the culmination of four years of collaborative research, the event showcased how circular economy strategies can contribute to achieving climate neutrality while reducing resource use and strengthening Europe’s economic resilience.
Bringing together leading scientists, European Commission representatives, and international organisations, the conference highlighted key findings from the three projects and explored how modelling can support the design of effective circular economy policies. Through keynote speeches, policy dialogues, and interactive breakout sessions, participants examined how circular approaches can be scaled from local implementation to European and global pathways towards net-zero emissions.
The afternoon opened with keynote addresses highlighting the growing importance of circular economy policies in Europe’s climate strategy.
William Neale, Adviser on Circular Economy at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV), outlined current priorities and future directions for EU circular economy policy. He emphasized the crucial role of resource efficiency, product longevity, and material circularity in reducing emissions beyond what can be achieved through energy system decarbonisation alone.
Vicky Pollard, Head of Unit for Foresight, Economic Analysis and Modelling at DG CLIMA, highlighted the increasing need for robust modelling tools to inform climate policy decisions and assess the wider impacts of circular economy interventions.
Connecting Global Models to Local Action
A central feature of the event was a joint presentation by the scientific leaders of the three Horizon Europe projects:
– Detlef van Vuuren (CIRCOMOD), Utrecht University and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency;
– Volker Krey (CircEUlar), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA);
– Ana Teresa Macas Lima (CO2NSTRUCT), Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
Together, they demonstrated how multi-scale modelling approaches can help operationalise circular economy strategies across different sectors and governance levels. The session highlighted how “narrowing”, “slowing”, and “closing” material loops can contribute to achieving net-zero targets, from global resource systems to European policy frameworks and local implementation pathways.
High-Level Policy Exchange
The event continued with an interactive policy exchange panel focusing on three key dimensions of circularity for net-zero transitions.
The construction ecosystem perspective was presented by Pierluigi Zerbino (University of Pisa, CO2NSTRUCT), followed by reflections from Ruben Bibas (OECD). Discussions explored the role of buildings, infrastructure, and material value chains in reducing embodied emissions.
The service-focused measures perspective was introduced by PatrÃcia Fortes (LNEG, CIRCOMOD), highlighting opportunities in mobility and housing services. Josefina Lindblom (DG ENV) provided a policy response, linking research findings to ongoing European Commission initiatives.
The session concluded with a discussion on system-wide enablers, presented by Yee Van Fan (University of Oxford, CircEUlar), addressing digitalisation, behavioural change, and broader economic impacts. Institutional reflections were offered by Mihai Palimariciuc (DG EMPL), focusing on ensuring fair green and digital transitions.
Deep-Dive Discussions on Key Challenges
Following the plenary discussions, participants joined three parallel breakout sessions designed to explore emerging findings and policy implications in greater depth.
The Construction Ecosystem session examined material value chains, built assets, transport systems, and energy infrastructure. Contributions from researchers across the three projects explored the material, energy, and emissions implications of infrastructure development and circular construction strategies.
The Service-Focused Measures session focused on innovative approaches to mobility and housing, highlighting how service-based business models and consumption patterns can reduce resource demand while maintaining quality of life.
The System-Wide Enablers session addressed critical cross-cutting themes including digitalisation, citizen behaviour, economic impacts, and rebound effects. Researchers explored both the opportunities and potential unintended consequences of circular economy transitions, emphasizing the need for integrated policy approaches.
Key Messages and Future Research Needs
During the closing plenary, rapporteurs from each breakout session shared common insights and identified areas where further research and policy development are needed.
Across all discussions, participants emphasized that achieving climate neutrality will require moving beyond technological solutions alone. Circular economy strategies offer substantial opportunities to reduce emissions by transforming production and consumption systems, extending product lifetimes, increasing material efficiency, and promoting new service-based models.
Participants also highlighted the importance of improving policy coherence, strengthening modelling capabilities across scales, and better understanding behavioural and economic responses to circular interventions.
Strengthening Science–Policy Collaboration
The event concluded with a networking session that enabled participants from European institutions, research organisations, and stakeholder groups to continue discussions and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
By bringing together leading experts from the CIRCOMOD, CircEUlar, and CO2NSTRUCT projects alongside representatives from the European Commission and OECD, the event demonstrated the value of science-policy collaboration in designing effective pathways towards a circular, climate-neutral Europe.
As Europe advances its Green Deal objectives, the insights generated through these projects will continue to support policymakers in translating circular economy ambitions into actionable strategies capable of delivering net-zero outcomes.Â
Video recording of the plenary sessions is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-urbU62Q9Y&t=21s Â
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