Presenting Circular Economy strategies in vehicle use at SCORAI Europe 2025

From April 8–10, 2025, the SCORAI Europe Conference brought together over 400 researchers and practitioners in Lund, Sweden, for a major event on mainstreaming sustainable consumption. Co-organised with the MISTRA Sustainable Consumption project and the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, the conference served as a key platform for advancing innovative research and policy ideas that support a transition to more sustainable lifestyles and consumption systems.

SCORAI (Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative) is a global knowledge network dedicated to reshaping consumption patterns in pursuit of a more ecologically sound and socially just society. The European edition of the conference provided a unique opportunity to share empirical findings, theoretical developments, and action-oriented strategies at the forefront of the sustainable consumption agenda.

Among the contributors was Luja von Köckritz, a CIRCOMOD researcher from Utrecht University, who presented her latest work on “Circular Economy Strategies in Vehicles: Projections for Material Consumption through Vehicle Use and Maintenance.” Her research offers forward-looking insights into how circular strategies—such as extended maintenance, reuse, and repair of vehicles—can impact material consumption and resource efficiency in the transport sector.

The presentation drew attention to the importance of integrating circular economy strategies not just in vehicle production but throughout the use phase, where maintenance and repair choices significantly influence material demand and environmental outcomes. This approach aligns closely with CIRCOMOD’s broader mission to model circular economy impacts at systemic levels and provide guidance for policy design.