Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and fleet managers are key innovators of the Performance Economy. This course explores many successful and failed examples of the roles of industrial, financial, and political actors in different sectors. The examples shared throughout this chapter show how synergies between policymakers, public procurement authorities and businesses allow “maintaining and profitably exploiting manufactured assets over long periods of time to achieve inclusive prosperity,”––a quote from the report on delivering the SDGs. Others show that innovative SMEs can be highly competitive and profitable. The Performance Economy is about: · People: selling performance, such as objects as a service, is a skill and labour-intensive service activity, which has to be performed locally (e.g. airlines selling safe transport from A to B). · Planet: maintaining the function or performance of assets over extended periods considerably reduces resource consumption, prevents GHG emissions (reduction of national CO2 emissions by 66%) and minimizes waste · Economics: Producing performance, selling performance, and maintaining the function or performance of assets over extended periods is profitable and provides corporate resilience against black swan events and resource security at low cost. · Innovation: The business models of the Performance Economy enable the exploitation of sufficiency and systems solutions, besides the traditional efficiency ones, and will profit from future advances in circular sciences. Multi-skill education, training, and novel long-life components will further increase the Performance Economy’s feasibility and profitability. · Competitiveness: Maintaining ownership of the materials embodied in physical assets over the longest time possible requires a combination of technical and commercial innovation. This saves supply chain compliance and transaction costs and will profit from governmental carbon credits and water preservation bonuses. Global Equity and Climate Justice. The Circular Industrial Economy plays a major role in today’s strategy to achieve global zero carbon emissions. Only reducing carbon emissions ‘below zero’ in the North will enable developing nations to build the infrastructure of health, education and mobility necessary to sustainably increase the quality of life of their population.
What are the primary strategies for circular design? How can the designer determine which design strategies are appropriate for the product they need to create? How can design strategies be managed and integrated to achieve a consistent approach? This course strives to answer these questions to enhance the knowledge of those involved in product decision–making. This course is divided into four sections: 1. Introduction –– Explore the distinction between technological and biological resource cycles. 2. Circular Design Strategies –– Key strategies to preserve or restore product value. 3. Customers in the Circular Product Design–– Key design solutions that may generate sustainable and circular user behaviours. 4. Key takeaways
Circular business models (CBMs) can help slow, narrow, and even close resource loops as we transition from value chain thinking to a value cycle mindset. When set up properly, CBMs: -Help to lower costs -Reduce emissions -Reduce resource consumption -Increase value -Build deeper relationships between providers and users -Create new value-accreting partnerships with suppliers and stakeholders CBMs take us from the realm of “feel-good solutions”––where profitability is sacrificed in the name of sustainability––to business model optimization, where profit, purpose, people and planet co-exist harmoniously. Besides superior performance, CBMs help: -Create new jobs -Promote innovation in industry and services -Embed clean energy further into the economy -Dematerialize many parts of the economy -Make cities and communities more sustainable -Promote responsible consumption and production Overall, this course offers a look into three types of circular business models, highlighting their features, benefits and the impact they have on the circular economy, our lives, and our future.
With the increasing urgency of tackling the threatening repercussions of the Linear Economy, the Digital Economy provides empowering ecosystems, infrastructures, and tools to drive SDGs and ESG achievements, Circular Economy transition, and social, environmental, and economic prosperity. The confluence of the Digital and Circular transitions gives rise to forcefully enabling and disrupting waves across sectors, markets, and geographies. Leveraging the Dual Transition is not only a competitive edge but also a strategic hedge against the upcoming disrupting forces and a tactical response to the increasing concerns about the resilience and sustainability of our social, natural, and industrial ecosystems. This course explores the rapidly evolving dynamics of markets and industries and how the enabling and disrupting forces of The Dual Transition can fuel innovation capacity and resilient strategies for entrepreneurs, companies, investors, policymakers, decision-makers, and executives in the public and private sectors. This course offers the following: • An overview of the repercussions of the Linear Economic Model. •The Digitally Enhanced Circular Economy Alternative for designing and implementing innovative solutions in response to the aftermath of our unsustainable practices. • Digital Transformation, Mass Integration of Industry 4.0 Technologies, and the Forthcoming Digital Economy as prominent enablers of the Circular transition. • Digitally Enhanced SDGs and Sustainable Competitiveness toward Circular Economy, • Policy Initiatives and Strategies driving the Dual Transition.
The world faces looming challenges that threaten our security, stability and prosperity. From conflict and pandemics to environmental risks and natural disasters, most countries and large organisations actively engage in a process to enhance their resilience and security. Strategies, policies, legislation, and action plans are the key drivers to meet these objectives. This course presents the EU toolbox––a comprehensive strategy designed to help Member States navigate the journey to carbon neutrality with ease. It also emphasises the importance of incorporating the core principles of the Circular Economy from the outset in the development and implementation of any action to ensure long-term competitiveness and efficiency. This transition will enable the EU to diversify its energy dependencies, decarbonise the economy, advance research and innovative solutions, and provide energy security to its member states and partners.
The different sections in the course introduce the reader to more relevant approaches and technologies for narrowing, slowing, and closing resource cycles. The course provides case examples where applicable to help readers better grasp the available alternatives. The approach is based on the product life cycle, from primary or secondary material extraction through resource recovery to start a new product life cycle. This course is divided into eight sections: 1. Understanding Industry 4.0 –– addressing the economic, social, and environmental elements 2. Urban mining––the future of the mining industry 3. Intelligent systems: Smart Circular Design –– how technology is changing product and system design 4. Smart factory –– technology and product manufacturing to decrease resource use 5. Use and Service in the digital era –– essential digital technologies to slow down resource cycles 6. Recapture value from users –– technology to increase customer value 7. Recovery strategies and technologies opportunities –– technology for product reconditioning 8. Key takeaways This course highlights three SDGs and their role in redesigning the future: Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy Goal 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
As global economies shift to more sustainable ways of living, there is a growing demand for the building industry to adapt on a technical, financial, economic, and industrial level. This course provides a complete overview of building for the circular economy by highlighting the detriment of current building practices, the challenges involved with circular building projects and strategies to implement moving forward. Moving to a circular built environment requires a transition in skill and perspective from various stakeholders, including building owners, labour and workers or asset managers. This course aims to share strategies through a collaborative mindset designed to engage the participant, inspire change and provide practical solutions for the future.
This course offers step-by-step guidance on the various stages of the circular procurement process and illustrates creative tweaks that support the integration of Circular Economy best practices. Gain insight into the essential focal points and provides practical recommendations for closing the loop and achieving a more efficient, effective, and circular solution. Explore the tangible impact of endorsing circular procurement through best practices and different mechanisms that both practitioners of the public and private sectors can adopt. Moreover, this course offers a curated selection of case studies to help readers better conceptualize and efficiently assess what steps to take to achieve effective results. With the information provided in this chapter, practitioners will encounter and attain exceptional education on the best practices and success stories of implementing the circular procurement process in different fields.
This course outlines the key differences between traditional and circular procurement processes and explains these two frameworks relating to standards, principles, and best practices. The course highlights collaboration and partnership at multiple levels to bring massive change to the traditional linear system and open the doors for innovative business models. In addition, it gives a clear understanding of the impact of circular procurement on a small and large scale. The small-scale impacts that this course reveals include: -The importance of the impact of procurement on the overall supply chain to enable professionals -The connection between Circular Economy principles and circular supply chains, besides its key components and the vital role it plays in circularity -The acceleration points that advance the application of circular supply chains The large-scale impacts that this course reveals include: -The outcomes involved in the public sector leveraging its purchasing power can bring positive outcomes and advance the application of circular procurement. -How Corporations and SMEs deal with the requirements of moving from linear to circular procurement -The barriers that organizations and industries worldwide face -Limitations to circular procurement practices This course expresses the urgency to take action now, embody a leadership attitude, and implement circular economy principles in scopes of work.
This course explores the advantages of collaboration between people and sectors, the fusion of domains, and the different competencies to design alternative business models encapsulating the Circular Economy. This course also shares the journey of this shift––from systemic changes to adopting a new values-aligned mindset. This course covers the following topics: 1. An overview of the current linear approach 2. Justifications for the shift from a linear to a systemic, circular and economic model 3. Tools for transitioning 4. The concept of an ecosystem in economics 5. Existing possibilities in applying the approach (mapping methods) 6. How the relationships between the different actors can help develop circular innovation 7. Examples that simulate real-life situations that practitioners face The concepts explored in this course align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here are a few specific SDGs relevant to this course: Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals
Climate change dramatically impacts urban areas, exposing cities on floodplains to extreme cloudbursts, and rising sea levels also threaten coastal cities. The course attempts to provide knowledge for proper water management in urban areas by applying the circular economy principles related to the regeneration of natural resources using a holistic approach based on Integrated Water Management for urban areas to create a collaborative ecosystem. The course also provides information about various alternative water sources for supply in urban areas. Different examples show the possibility of implementing various strategies to prolong water use, such as reusing wastewater and rainwater to conserve water in basins and receiving bodies and the growth of desalination process applications to secure water supply while preserving the environment. This approach explores the role of digital technologies and circular business models and strategies as enablers of the circular economy in the water sector. Implementing digital technologies for water and wastewater treatment is becoming necessary to face the increasing risks related to demand growth, water scarcity, quality, security, and cost-effective water-related services. There are many opportunities to create value from water streams, and implementing circular business models creates an ecosystem where water becomes a source of nutrients, minerals, and metals. Applying appropriate circular design strategies can allow the development of circular business models to create value from water to slow, close, narrow, and regenerate resources present in water streams.
This course examines the natural water cycle, demonstrating how human activities create a linear approach in the water industry by treating water as a single-use entity. The principles explored in this course relate to those proposed by the Ellen McArthur Foundation adapted to the water sector: • Design water utilities out of waste and reduce pollution. • Keep products and materials from water and wastewater in use. • Regenerate natural systems adapted to the water sector. These principles intersect with the water sector at three levels–micro, meso, and macro to engage and create specific focus topics divided into technologies & processes, implementation, and water management. This course offers a Circular Economy water framework that aims to set up the shift from a linear to a circular approach, allowing us to define better strategies for a successful change to the Circular Economy. The course also outlines the vast possibilities for the water industry’s future––including implementing innovative water technologies that transform water utilities into smart assets. Emerging ideas and technology make it possible to remove pollutants from water, meaning that water reuse, recycling, and resource recovery could become our new regular.
The course provides the learner with an overview of the problem of waste and its link with consumption and production and highlights the sectors of increasing waste pollution: · Food · Plastics and Microplastics · Packaging The course provides a practical overview of the circular economy as a critical component in waste elimination and describes: · The waste management approach for the circular economy · The 10 Rs hierarchy in the circular economy · Extended producer responsibility schemes · Alternative materials promoting the circular economy. · New technologies enabling waste management for the circular economy. Finally, the course describes the drivers of circularity in the waste sector in Europe: · Waste Framework Directive · EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy · Directive on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment · Packaging Directive · Financial, social and institutional aspects (economic instruments)
The convergence of technologies and combinatorial innovations reshape the fabric of the economy and give rise to disruptive and enabling forces across sectors. The ensuing emergence, divergence, and convergence of technologies propel innovation and provide groundbreaking solutions to tackle SDGs, promote Sustainable Competitiveness, and enable the transition to the Circular Economy. This course explores emerging opportunities in leveraging digitally empowered industries, infrastructures, solutions, and business models to drive social, economic, and environmental prosperity via xTech Industries (e.g. FinTech, RegTech, HealthTech, SpaceTech, GameTech, ClimateTech, AgriTech, etc). XaaS Business Models (e.g. Analytics, Intelligence, Insight, Product, Solution, Platform, etc. (X) as a Service). SmartX Solutions and Infrastructures (e.g. Smart Cities, Grids, Buildings, Assets, Manufacturing, Transportation and Mobility Systems, etc). Digitally Empowered Multistakeholder Ecosystems.
Industry 4.0 technological enablers empower innovative solutions and services and restructure the economic and business models and market dynamics. Such innovations drive the transition to the Digitally Empowered Circular Economy and help us achieve SDGs and Sustainable Competitiveness more efficiently. This course explores some impactful applications and implications of the following technologies in line with the above: 1. Big Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence for improved data-informed decision-making, resource efficiency, and service and product design, 2. Cyber-Physical Systems, IoT, and Intelligent Assets for enabling connectivity and feedback loops across the Physical, Digital, and Biological realms for resource efficiency, 3. Blockchain, Tokenized Economies, and Business Models as the cornerstone enabler of Trust, Transparency, and Accountability in responsible operations and governance, 4. Extended Reality, Virtualization, and Digital Twins for enhanced cross-dimensional interactions and reinforced efficiency of processes and resources.
The world faces unprecedented energy, environmental, climate and sustainability challenges, including biodiversity loss, resource use, and pollution. Beyond The Paris Agreement––the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate change agreement––there are movements, policy proposals and approved or under process pieces of legislation around the world pushing for new green deals designed to reduce emissions and foster greater sustainability. The challenge ahead is to achieve this ambition collectively, effectively, swiftly, and affordably by applying the energy sector’s appropriate policies and regulations. Overall, this course provides an overview and analysis of the essential policies and legislative actions that the EU mobilizes to move towards a circular, sustainable, and climate-neutral economy by 2050. It also aims to communicate information and examples in a timely and precise manner on implementing the circular economy from an EU climate and energy policy perspective and provide practitioners from public and private sectors with valuable and practical insights.
The Circular Economy (CE) offers an operational pathway to grow out of the linear economy and achieve economic growth while ensuring prosperity for the people and the planet’s well-being. At its core, the circular economy is a systemic change that needs to be implemented seamlessly–– in all processes and value cycles by all stakeholders. Continuous upskilling and reskilling are required to support resource loops’ narrowing, slowing, and closing. In this respect, we consider the need for a lifelong learning system that provides pathways for continuous upskilling and reskilling programs. This course emphasizes the importance of closing the gap between the present skills of the workforce and the future skills needed. Beyond this, it looks at organizations’ significant role in developing a skilled and innovative workforce. Learn how to develop a workforce strategy based on CE principles. The aim is to align the organizational objectives with the interests and ambitions of the employees and contribute to creating a learning culture. With this approach, organizations can attract and retain talent and maintain a skilled and motivated workforce. The concepts explored in this course align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here are a few specific SDGs relevant to this course: -Goal 4: Quality education -Goal 8: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
This certificate allows you to, quickly and efficiently, grasp the key ideas behind the concept of Circular Economy. The Circular Economy Professional (Foundational) is a bundle which includes 4 courses that will introduce you to the fundamentals of circularity: •Terminology •Principles •Frameworks •Theories •Models •Mindsets and thinking •Tools •Policies •Best practices The courses which compose the Circular Economy Professional (Foundational) have been carefully selected, designed, and curated to give you an insider’s view into what we consider “the pillars” of the Circular Economy. You will better understand what is necessary at the personal, corporate, institutional, and societal levels to evolve from the current take-make-dispose economic model – which continues to harm the planet- to transition to a circular economic model – which favours the planet.
This certificate allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of Circular Economy and go beyond the fundamentals. This certificate includes the 4 “pillar” courses in the Circular Economy Professional (Foundational) program, as well as 4 complimentary courses that cover additional aspects of the principles, frameworks, theories, and best practices of Circular Economy. The Circular Economy Manager (Advanced) has been designed to cover deeper aspects of the Circular Economy, including: •The importance of strategic design. •The notion of value cycles. •Advanced use of Circular Economy principles. •The importance of partnering and ecosystems in the transition to a more Circular Economy. The courses which compose the Circular Economy Manager (Advanced) have been carefully curated to give you an insider’s view into what we consider the extended fundamentals of Circular Economy, as well as the complementary knowledge you need to be credible as an expert in the domain.
The Circular Economy Specialist (High-Mastery) certification is designed to position you as a recognized leader in the Circular Economy field. This certification equips you with comprehensive, functional, and practical expertise, enabling you to drive meaningful change at an organizational, industry, and systemic level. Gain the skills and accreditation to consult, advise, and inform on Circular Economy strategies beyond your network. Establish yourself as your organization’s go-to expert, ready to lead consultancy projects, implement circular solutions, and drive systemic transformation. Master the art of closing loops and shaping the future of sustainable business. Each module requires successfully achieving a score of at least 70% on a randomized 10-question multiple-choice, timed exam relative only to the content of the module and not requiring any previous knowledge. To obtain a Circular Economy Specialist (High-Mastery) certificate, the 12 modules of a certification program must be successfully validated through the successful exam outcome. Once validated, your certificate will be issued, and you will receive a dedicated email. The Circular Economy (High-Mastery) certification program must be validated within the respective time frame of the initial registration, which is six (6) months. Thereafter, the content will no longer be accessible, and no module exam takes or retakes will be possible. Upon successful completion of the certification program earlier than the allowed time frame, your access to the learning platform will be revoked, and you will have fourteen (14) days to download any available materials. The module exam can be taken three (3) times. In the event the Participant does not pass the first three (3) attempts, there is an option to pay an additional €45 to retake the exam. The exam retake can be requested up to two (2) times. This is a safety precaution to eliminate possible abuse of the multiple-choice exam format. The exam should be easily validated in one (1) to three (3) attempts for anyone applying themselves seriously to the module content. If you wish to retake the exam, please contact [email protected]
11. Performance Economy: Benefitting people, profits and planet 12. Circular Water Management: A framework for the transition 16. Circular Procurement: innovative solutions in practice 17. Digitally Empowered Circular Economy: Industry 4.0 technological enablers
11. Performance Economy: Benefitting people, profits and planet 13. Circular Life of Buildings Designing out obsolescence 16. Circular Procurement: innovative solutions in practice 17. Digitally Empowered Circular Economy: Industry 4.0 technological enablers
11. Performance Economy: Benefitting people, profits and planet 12. Circular Water Management: A framework for the transition 14. Circular Water Management 2 Closing the H20 loop 17. Digitally Empowered Circular Economy: Industry 4.0 technological enablers
This course aims to help participants understand how digital transformation can drive the circular economy. Participants will explore key concepts, strategies, and technologies that enable a shift from a linear to a circular economic model. The course combines theoretical foundations with case studies and practical exercises. NOTE: As learners, you will have two months to complete each course upon registration, followed by a one-week period after completion, during which you can download any available materials.
The course is designed to introduce participants to the core competencies of effective leadership actions and team building activities and demonstrate how one's emotional intelligence enhances them. Through e-learning material, exercises, case analysis, and self-assessment instruments, participants are introduced to some of the most impactful approaches to emotional intelligence, leadership, communication, and negotiation. An important objective is for participants to be able to apply their new ideas and resulting skill improvements to their respective contexts. Underlying the emphasis on Leadership, Teams, and Emotional Intelligence is an emphasis on business ethics, employee empowerment, and social entrepreneurship, where a business can be a powerful tool for social good, prioritizing social and environmental values over profitability. NOTE: As learners, you will have two months to complete each course upon registration, followed by a one-week period after completion, during which you can download any available materials.
Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) - High Mastery This certificate provides a specialist-level understanding of the Circular Economy that extends far beyond the fundamentals and encompasses a broad spectrum of advanced circular principles, strategies, systems, and implementation practices. The Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) - High Mastery certification program comprises sixteen (16) examinable modules and one (1) supplementary non-examinable learning module, covering diverse dimensions of Circular Economy theory, strategy, policy, technology, and real-world application. Learners successfully complete all sixteen examinable courses and their respective examinations, ensuring a comprehensive and multidisciplinary mastery of the subject matter, while also gaining access to additional complementary learning content. This program is designed for professionals seeking to develop advanced expertise across multiple aspects of Circular Economy principles and implementation, including: • Embedding Circular Economy strategies and business models across personal, corporate, institutional, industrial, and societal contexts. • Applying advanced circular principles to business models, procurement, supply chains, ecosystems, energy systems, water management, and digital transformation. • Understanding the role of Industry 4.0, enabling technologies, industrial symbiosis, and policy frameworks in accelerating the circular transition. • Using practical and strategic approaches to support, consult on, and contribute to Circular Economy initiatives that create measurable environmental, economic, and societal impact. • Developing the competencies required to act as a recognized specialist and leading contributor within the Circular Economy domain. The courses comprising the Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) - High Mastery certification program have been carefully selected, designed, and curated to provide an expert-level perspective on the full scope of Circular Economy systems and the knowledge required to become a recognized specialist in the field. Each examinable module requires successfully achieving a score of at least 70% on a randomized 10-question multiple-choice timed examination based exclusively on the respective module content and not requiring any previous knowledge. To obtain the Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) - High Mastery certificate, all sixteen (16) examinable modules of the certification program must be successfully validated through the respective examination process. The supplementary learning module is provided for additional educational value and is not subject to examination requirements. Once validated, the certificate will be issued and the learner will receive a dedicated confirmation email. The Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) - High Mastery certification program must be completed within the respective time frame of the initial registration, which is six (6) months. Thereafter, the content will no longer be accessible, and no module examination attempts or retakes will be possible. Upon successful completion of the certification program earlier than the allowed time frame, access to the learning platform will be revoked, and learners will have fourteen (14) days to download any available materials. Each examinable module examination can be attempted three (3) times. In the event a learner does not pass within the first three (3) attempts, there is an option to pay an additional €45 examination retake fee. Additional retake requests may be granted up to two (2) times. This policy serves as a safeguard against abuse of the multiple-choice examination format while maintaining the integrity of the certification process. The examination should be successfully validated within one (1) to three (3) attempts for learners who meaningfully engage with the module content. For additional retake requests, please contact [email protected]
The Circular Economy Manager (Advanced) Certificate is designed for learners who have already achieved the Circular Economy Professional (Foundational) level and wish to upgrade to a Manager. This program equips participants with advanced knowledge and managerial skills to lead, coordinate, and implement Circular Economy strategies effectively across projects and organizations, preparing them to drive impactful change in the circular economy field.
The Circular Economy Specialist (High-Mastery) Certificate is designed for learners who have already achieved the Circular Economy Manager (Advanced) level and wish to upgrade to a Specialist. This program provides an in-depth mastery of Circular Economy principles and practices, broadening knowledge across advanced topics. Through 9 additional courses drawn from the Specialist level portfolio—including areas such as energy transition pathways, water and building circularity, the performance economy, workforce transformation, sustainable procurement, and the digital enablers of Industry 4.0—participants build the advanced insight and capabilities required to influence, design, and drive systemic change, positioning themselves as recognized leaders in the circular economy.
This course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills for a circular and green transition. It is divided into four distinct modules and offers a holistic approach to topics ranging from environmental and social awareness to critical concepts on circular business models, supply chains, and ecosystems. Furthermore, grounded on real cases and examples, the course will cover in-depth how different circular strategies can be adopted for a successful business transformation. It will also provide resources for students to develop skills for corporate development and management of circular programs that drive organizations toward more sustainable initiatives. Additionally, the course aims to equip students with a repertoire on climate justice and the importance of training the workforce to transition to a circular economy. This aspect of the course will ensure that students understand circular theories and practices and can lead and disseminate these concepts in corporate environments, promoting a culture of sustainability, empowerment, and continuous innovation in the long term. NOTE: As learners, you will have two months to complete each course upon registration, followed by a one-week period after completion, during which you can download any available materials.
The world faces environmental and social challenges, urging that traditional linear business models transform into circular ones. Future entrepreneurship should focus on creating profitable businesses while considering social and environmental impact. This course can equip learners and aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools that enable integrating sustainability practices into businesses. It covers areas like generating and selecting ideas in the sustainability and digital era, incubating ideas and strategic development, developing a business case that considers environmental and social impacts, diffusion, and funding of the business case. NOTE: As learners, you will have two months to complete each course upon registration, followed by a one-week period after completion, during which you can download any available materials.
Circular Economy Specialist (Level II) - Advanced The Circular Economy Specialist (Level II) - Advanced certificate is designed for professionals seeking to move beyond foundational knowledge and develop applied expertise in Circular Economy principles and implementation. Building on core concepts, the program provides an integrated understanding of how circularity can be embedded across business models, design strategies, supply chains, digital transformation, energy systems, water management, and resource efficiency. Participants gain the tools, strategic insight, and practical perspectives needed to support and implement circular initiatives within organizations and broader ecosystems. The program consists of ten carefully curated courses that build upon the knowledge acquired in the Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) - Foundational certification. It combines core circular economy principles with additional advanced modules, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on circularity across business, technology, industry, sustainability, and systems thinking. Throughout the program, participants explore: • Circular business models and their application in real-world contexts. • Strategic design approaches and innovation for circular systems. • The role of digital technologies and Industry 4.0 in accelerating the circular transition. • Circular supply chains and procurement as key enablers of change. • Collaboration, partnerships, and ecosystem-driven approaches. • Cross-sector applications supporting the transition toward more circular, resilient, and resource-efficient systems. By the end of the program, learners will have developed the knowledge and practical understanding required to contribute to and support circular economy initiatives aimed at advancing sustainability, resilience, and resource efficiency. This certificate is ideal for professionals seeking to strengthen their credibility and effectiveness in the Circular Economy domain while bridging the gap between foundational understanding and advanced specialist-level mastery. The Circular Economy Specialist (Level II) – Advanced certification program must be completed within the respective time frame of the initial registration, which is four (4) months. Thereafter, the content will no longer be accessible, and no module examination attempts or retakes will be possible. Upon successful completion of the certification program prior to the expiry of the allotted timeframe, access to the learning platform will be revoked, and learners will have fourteen (14) days to download any available materials. To successfully complete the certification program, learners must achieve a minimum score of 70% on each randomized 10-question multiple-choice timed examination, based exclusively on the respective module content and not requiring any previous knowledge. Module examinations may be attempted up to three (3) times. In the event a learner does not successfully pass within the initial three (3) attempts, an additional retake may be requested subject to a €45 examination retake fee. Additional retake requests may be granted up to two (2) times. This policy serves as a safeguard against abuse of the multiple-choice examination format while maintaining the integrity of the certification process. The examination should be successfully validated within one (1) to three (3) attempts by learners who meaningfully engage with the module content. For additional retake requests, please contact [email protected]
Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) - Foundational This certificate allows you to, quickly and efficiently, grasp the key ideas behind the concept of Circular Economy. The Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) - Foundational is a bundle which includes 4 courses that will introduce you to the fundamentals of circularity: •Terminology •Principles •Frameworks •Theories •Models •Mindsets and thinking •Tools •Policies •Best practices The courses which compose the Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) - Foundational have been carefully selected, designed, and curated to give you an insider’s view into what we consider “the pillars” of the Circular Economy. You will better understand what is necessary at the personal, corporate, institutional, and societal levels to evolve from the current take-make-dispose economic model – which continues to harm the planet- to transition to a circular economic model – which favours the planet. The Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) – Foundational certification program must be completed within the respective time frame of the initial registration, which is two (2) months. Thereafter, the content will no longer be accessible, and no module examination attempts or retakes will be possible. Upon successful completion of the certification program prior to the expiry of the allotted timeframe, access to the learning platform will be revoked, and learners will have fourteen (14) days to download any available materials. To successfully complete the certification program, learners must achieve a minimum score of 70% on each randomized 10-question multiple-choice timed examination, based exclusively on the respective module content and not requiring any previous knowledge. Module examinations may be attempted up to three (3) times. In the event a learner does not successfully pass within the initial three (3) attempts, an additional retake may be requested subject to a €45 examination retake fee. Additional retake requests may be granted up to two (2) times. This policy serves as a safeguard against abuse of the multiple-choice examination format while maintaining the integrity of the certification process. The examination should be successfully validated within one (1) to three (3) attempts by learners who meaningfully engage with the module content. For additional retake requests, please contact [email protected]
The Circular Economy Specialist (Level II) – Advanced certification pathway is designed for learners who have previously completed the Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) – Foundational certification and wish to further develop applied knowledge and implementation-oriented expertise in Circular Economy principles and practices. Building upon foundational concepts, this pathway equips participants with advanced strategic insight and practical understanding across circular business models, design strategies, supply chains, digital transformation, ecosystems, and resource management. Learners develop the competencies required to support and implement Circular Economy initiatives across projects, organizations, and broader systems contexts. This pathway is intended for professionals seeking to strengthen their ability to contribute to operational, organizational, and cross-sector circular transition efforts through more advanced and application-focused learning.
The Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) – High Mastery certification pathway is designed for learners who have previously completed the Circular Economy Specialist (Level II) – Advanced certification and wish to further expand their expertise through specialist-level learning and advanced multidisciplinary applications of Circular Economy principles. Building upon the applied and implementation-oriented foundations of Level II, this pathway provides deeper insight into advanced Circular Economy systems, strategies, technologies, and sectoral applications. Through additional specialist-level modules covering areas such as energy transition pathways, circular water management, circular buildings, performance economy, workforce transformation, sustainable procurement, industrial symbiosis, and the digital enablers of Industry 4.0, learners develop the strategic understanding and advanced competencies required to contribute to and influence systemic circular transition initiatives. This pathway is intended for professionals seeking to strengthen their position as advanced Circular Economy practitioners capable of supporting innovation, systems transformation, and cross-sector circular implementation at organizational, industrial, and societal levels.
The Circular Economy Specialist (Level III) – High Mastery certification pathway is designed for learners who have previously completed the Circular Economy Specialist (Level I) – Foundational certification and wish to further develop specialist-level expertise through advanced multidisciplinary applications of Circular Economy principles and practices. Building directly upon the foundational understanding acquired in Level I, this accelerated pathway enables learners to progress toward specialist-level mastery by providing extensive insight into advanced Circular Economy systems, strategies, technologies, and sectoral applications. Learners explore areas such as circular business models, circular design, digital transformation, circular supply chains, ecosystems, energy transition pathways, circular water management, circular buildings, performance economy, sustainable procurement, industrial symbiosis, and the digital enablers of Industry 4.0. Through this advanced learning pathway, participants develop the strategic understanding and competencies required to contribute to and influence systemic circular transition initiatives across multiple sectors and industries. This certification pathway is intended for professionals seeking to strengthen their expertise and position themselves as advanced Circular Economy practitioners capable of supporting innovation, systems transformation, and cross-sector circular implementation at organizational, industrial, institutional, and societal levels.
Generic Circular Starter Classes within EVEN-CLOSER As part of the EVEN-CLOSER project, the Generic Circular Starter Classes provide participating start-ups with a common foundation in circular economy principles, circular business innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable value creation. The courses are designed to establish a shared circular mindset and entrepreneurial understanding of how critical raw materials, digital technologies, circular design, and resilient value chains contribute to Europe's transition towards a more sustainable and strategically autonomous semiconductor ecosystem. Together, the courses provide the conceptual and practical foundation required for subsequent sector-specific acceleration and innovation activities. 1. Circular Business Models: Doing More, with Less, for Longer This course introduces the main Circular Business Models (CBMs) that enable the transition towards a Circular Economy and demonstrates how they improve organisational performance, resource efficiency, and sustainability. Participants will explore how circular business thinking can unlock new opportunities for value creation while reducing dependence on virgin resources and supporting the recovery and reuse of strategic materials. 2. Circular and Digital Economies: The Dual Transition This course explores the convergence of the Circular and Digital Economies and how digital technologies can accelerate the circular transition. Participants will examine the evolving dynamics of markets, industries, and policy frameworks while understanding how digital enablers, data-driven solutions, and Industry 4.0 technologies can support circular innovation, traceability, and sustainable competitiveness. 3. Driving Circularity: The Role of Energy Policy and Legislation This course provides an overview of the policy and regulatory frameworks that support the transition to a Circular Economy. Participants will learn how energy policies, climate legislation, and sustainability initiatives create the conditions for circular innovation, resource efficiency, and industrial transformation across strategic sectors. 4. Circular by Design: Innovation, Strategy and Resource Flows This course examines the strategic role of product design and manufacturing in enabling circularity. Through practical examples and case studies, participants will explore how circular design strategies support multiple product lifecycles, improve resource utilisation, and facilitate repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and material recovery. 5. Circular Supply Chains: Leveraging the Power of Strategic Procurement This course demonstrates how circular procurement and strategic sourcing can accelerate the transition to a Circular Economy. Participants will learn how collaboration across value chains, supplier engagement, and procurement decisions can strengthen resilience, support circular business models, and create opportunities for more sustainable production and consumption systems. 6. Digitally Empowered Circular Economy: Industry 4.0 Technological Enablers This course explores how emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, advanced analytics, and digital platforms can support circular business models and industrial innovation. Participants will gain insights into how digital technologies improve transparency, traceability, decision-making, and lifecycle management across circular value chains.
Derek Eduardo Luk Pat is a business, sustainability and quality infrastructure consultant with over twenty-five years of C-suite and Board-level experience across several sectors over the Caribbean region in the private, public and NGO sectors.
He is the Founder / Managing Director of The Circular Caribbean Company Limited; a consultancy firm facilitating the regional transition from today’s Linear Economy to a more sustainable and resilient Circular Economy. Derek is also the Co-Founder / Director of Fed Up Caribbean Limited, whose mission is to monetise food waste and valorise organic waste across Small Island Developing States and so contribute to regional food security and socioeconomic resilience.
Since 2019, Derek has been involved in the international standards development for Circular Economy as a member of the ISO Technical
Committee 323. He is also the Deputy Chairman of COSTATT’s School of Environment, Circular Economy and Sustainability Steering Committee and served as the first Chairman of the Advancing Circular Economy programme under the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.
He holds an MBA from Heriot Watt University, a BSc. (Hons) Chemistry & Management from the University of the West Indies and is a certified Circular Economy Specialist.
Dr. Alejandro Gallego Schmid
Dr. Alejandro Gallego Schmid is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Circular Economy and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on the role of circular economy in tackling climate change and enabling net-zero solutions, its implementation in renewable energy systems, applications across Latin America and the Caribbean, and the emerging nexus between circular economy, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence.
Arshad Shah
Arshad Shah is the founder and CEO of Seamless Systems Solutions and a sustainability and circular economy expert with over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing sector. He has worked in leadership roles across textiles, footwear, packaging, and plastics industries, focusing on operational excellence, sustainable manufacturing, and ISO-based systems.
He has conducted workshops, trainings, and consulting assignments on circular economy, Lean Six Sigma, ISO 9001/14001/45001, and EU Ecodesign regulations for industry professionals in Pakistan and abroad. His work promotes circularity, innovation, and responsible production aligned with global standards such as the ISO 59000 series and the UN SDGs.
Arshad holds an MBA from IBA, Punjab University, and is certified in Lean Six Sigma, ISO auditing, and circular economy practices. He actively collaborates with international bodies like the Circular Economy Alliance to foster sustainable transformation in developing economies.
Measuring Success
📌 Objective: Understand how to track, measure, and report the impact of circular economy initiatives.
📌 Objective: Learn how to engage employees, customers, suppliers, and policymakers in circular economy initiatives.
Multi-stakeholder engagement: Private-public partnerships for sustainability
Consumer behavior and circular business models (encouraging product return, reuse)
Circular procurement strategies and supplier relationships
The role of leadership in lobbying for sustainable policies
🎯 Activity: Create a stakeholder engagement plan for a circular economy project
Leading Change for Circular Transformation
📌 Objective: Understand how to lead organizational change and overcome resistance when implementing circular strategies.
The psychology of change: Overcoming resistance in teams
Change management models for sustainability (Kotter’s 8-Step, ADKAR)
Building internal buy-in: Communicating the vision for circular transformation
Aligning circular goals with business strategy and KPIs
🎯 Activity: Develop a change leadership action plan for circular transformation in your organization
Circular Innovation & Strategic Decision-Making
📌 Objective: Develop leadership skills to drive innovation and strategic decision-making in circular initiatives.
Fostering a culture of sustainability-driven innovation
Decision-making frameworks for circular economy transitions
Financing circular initiatives: Impact investment, green funds, and partnerships
Risk management in implementing circular business models
🎯 Activity: Scenario analysis – Decision-making in a circular economy transformation
Systems Thinking
📌 Objective: Apply systems thinking to understand the interconnectedness of sustainability challenges and business operations.
Understanding supply chain circularity
Life cycle thinking and product design for circularity
Business models for circular success (e.g., product-as-a-service, closed-loop systems)
The role of technology and innovation in circular strategies
🎯 Activity: Map out a circular value chain for the organization
New Models for Leadership
📌 Objective: Understand the role of leadership in driving sustainability transformation and the changes in the approaches required.
The differences between linear and circular economies in terms of management and leadership
Key principles for leadership: Agile, Teamwork, Partnerships, Innovation, Localization
Leadership mindsets for sustainability transformation
Left and right hemisphere thinking
🎯 Activity: Self-assessment of leadership readiness for circular transformation.
Kelly Christodoulou
Kelly Christodoulou is a seasoned sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) expert with over 15 years of experience in responsible investment. She has a strong background in evaluating corporate behaviours and collaborating with companies to enhance their ESG performance. Since 2008, Kelly has been a pivotal figure in the responsible investment industry, initiating sustainable investment practices at a major Australian pension fund.
Academically, Kelly holds a Master in Finance, a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact, a Bachelor of Commerce, and completed the Financial Times ‘Non-Executive Director’ Diploma.In addition to her professional and academic pursuits, Kelly is an accomplished speaker. She delivered a TEDx Talk titled “The Final 2000 – Rewriting Earth’s Story,” emphasising the critical impacts of climate change and the use of nature-based solutions to mitigate its adverse effects. Her dedication to sustainability and responsible investment continues to drive positive change in the industry.
Dr.Teresa Domenech Aparisi
Teresa is an Assoc. Professor in Industrial Ecology and the Circular Economy at University College London, Institute for Sustainable Resources (UCL ISR) and founding director of the UCL Circular Economy Lab and the UCL Plastic Innovation Hub. She has contributed to leading international research in the areas of sustainable industrial development, decarbonisation pathways and the circular economy. Her expertise covers resource management for decarbonisation and circularity in industrial sectors including construction (metals and cement), plastics, textiles, and the bioeconomy. She has expertise in Material flow Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment and Integrated Sustainability Assessments. She was part of the ISO Editorial Team drafting the new family of standards for the Circular Economy (59000). Her research has been published in leading academic journals, including Nature Sustainability and Journal of Cleaner Production. She has contributed to influential reports for the European Commission and UN on the Circular Economy. She delivers talks and lectures internationally in the areas of the circular economy and industrial decarbonisation. She regularly engages with the media (BBC, Channel4, TVR, NTVS, Times and Metro).
Mohammed S. Al Surf
Mohammed S. Al Surf, holder of PhD. in Sustainable and Green Construction. Director of Carbon Department at Tilad Environment. Founder of the Sustainability Professionals in Saudi Arabia Network (SPSA) reaching more than 15,000 members. Top 100 Sustainability Voices in the Middle East in 2024, and named 10 Most Dynamic Entrepreneurs Diversifying the Economy in Saudi Arabia for 2024.
First Saudi to become a USGBC® Faculty, an ISSP® Sustainability Associate and a TRUE® Advisor. LEED® Accredited Professional in BD+C, ENV SP credential and a Green Classroom Professional. Author of the books titled “Sustainable Housing in Saudi Arabia: Opportunities & Challenges” and “10 Steps to Become a Sustainability Professional”.
Member of several local and international professional entities such as the U.S. Green Building Council, the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE), the Pacific Rim Real-Estate Society (PRRES), Asian Real-Estate Society (AsRES) and Project Management Institute (PMI). Dedicated to applying a systematic approach to Green Construction and Sustainable methods applied on projects in Saudi Arabia to induce quality of life while preserving the depleting supply of natural resources.
Kaine Chinwah
Kaine Chinwah is a Certified Circular Economy Professional with a wealth of experience in environment, waste and resource management, both in Nigeria and internationally.
She holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering/ Business Management and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the esteemed Imperial College London, renowned for its scientific, technological, and engineering excellence.
As Chairperson of the African Centre for Environmental Protection, she designs and implements strategic capacity-building programs that focus on STEM education, environmental awareness, sustainable development, circular economy, research to commercialization, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Gerhard Kerschbaumer
Gerhard is Partner at Accirculate, a Brussels-based niche consulting firm specialized in Circular Economy & Circular Supply Chains.
He is an independent chartered engineer and environmental & energy advisor. Gerhard brings over 20 years of experience, supporting industrial and public organizations to achieve their environmental and energy goals across sectors.
Gerhard is member of the board and chairman of the Industrial Engineering Group at the Federal Chamber of Architects and chartered Engineering Consultants in Tirol/Vorarlberg in Austria. Moreover, he is engaged at Austrian Standards International Organisation as member of Committee 251 “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)” and Committee 157 “Waste Management”.
He holds a master degree in mechanical engineering with specialization on energy and environmental technologies TU Graz (AT). Gerhard is qualified as European Energy Manager (EUREM), certfied lead auditor and expert on environmental management System (ISO 14001) and on energy management system (ISO 50001).
Franco Petocchi
Franco is Managing Partner at Accirculate, a Brussels-based niche consulting firm specialized in Circular Economy & Circular Supply Chains.
He is an entrepreneur, advisor and executive with more than 25 years of consulting and industry experience in the supply chain & logistics sectors, including at Accenture, Panalpina and the DHL Group. Previously, he accomplished senior roles at global, European and local levels in line functions and in major transformation, innovation and integration programmes and projects.
Franco holds an Executive MBA degree from SDA Bocconi and International Courses from United Nations University. He completed executive and online MicroMasters courses on Supply Chain Management (MIT CTL, MITx) and Circular Economy (TUDelft, Leiden University, WBCSD)
Eliza Panagiotidou
Eliza is an Industrial Ecologist with a background in business administration and entrepreneurship. She is a registered adviser with the EBRD and an eligible candidate for Advice for Small Business (ASB).
She is an independent expert evaluator for the EIT Manufacturing and a member of the GREEN ASSIST Expert Community, an advisory initiative managed by the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
Eliza is honored as the Regional Winner for Ecosystem Hero of the Year 2023 at the South Europe StartUp Awards.
She is the founder and managing director of Urban Camel, a boutique strategic research & innovation agency for sustainable growth and the transition to the circular economy, which won the Silver Award for Green StartUp at the Green Brand Awards 2023 in Greece.
Lynne Kaye
Lynne Kaye is a sustainability educator, consultant and author focused on growing the circular and regenerative economies. In addition to working with the Circular Economy Alliance, Lynne teaches Applied Circular Economics and Regenerative Economics in the Harvard University Executive Education program (Harvard Extension School).
In 2009, she co-founded the Loudoun Green Business Challenge. The Challenge provided a roadmap to sustainability and assisted over 400 organizations become certified as sustainable businesses.
She began her career as an investment banker. She headed the mergers and acquisitions and equity advisory group for Banc One Capital Markets. Her team’s accomplishments included assisting Andersen Worldwide successfully conclude the contentious separation of Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and Arthur Andersen.
Lynne holds an ALM in Sustainability from Harvard University, an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and a BS from Wake Forest University. She is also certified in Permaculture Design. Lynne served on the Board of Visitors for the Fuqua School of Business.
Circular Economy – Digital Innovation Hub (CE -DIH)
The Circular Economy (CE) concept, driven by Industry 4.0, is expanding into various sectors. It requires new skills and competencies aligned with sustainability principles. Initially impacting supply chain management, these skills extend to entrepreneurship, innovation, and societal development. Research highlights the potential for sustainability by combining CE and Industry 4.0 perspectives through education and practical cases. CERES recognizes the need to broaden CE beyond firms and supply skills and knowledge to higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET). The Circular Economy Digital Innovation Hub (CE-DIH) aims to connect stakeholders and offer services, skills, and knowledge to support CE across industries and society, promoting sustainability and innovation.
Piotr is a Belgian/Polish national with over 11 years of experience in circular economy policy development. Currently, he is a Circular Economy Program Manager at the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) Foundation, and a Council Member of the European Environmental Bureau. Previously he worked at the Polish Ministry of the Environment and Polish Humanitarian Action in South Sudan. He holds two Master’s Diplomas in Spatial Management, Environmental Sciences and Geography. In 2022 he accomplishedLeaders for Nature Academy by MAVA Foundation.
He was chairing the Waste Working Group of the EEB in the years 2013 -2023. It comprises of local waste management experts across Europe and beyond, with hands-on experience in waste systems, and upstream product policy. In 2016 Piotr co-founded and continues to be a Board Member of the Polish Zero Waste Association, working closely with Zero Waste Europe, Rethink Plastic Alliance, and others. Added: Lynne Kaye is a sustainability educator, consultant and author focused on growing the circular and regenerative economies. In addition to working with the Circular Economy Alliance, Lynne teaches Applied Circular Economics and Regenerative Economics in the Harvard University Executive Education program (Harvard Extension School).
He has been a Jury member of the European Week of Waste Reduction in years 2013-2021, assessing local waste prevention measures across Europe. He also has international experience advising on waste policies in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Oman, the Balkans, and Türkiye. Piotr speaks fluent English and Polish, communicates in French, German, Spanish, and Catalan, and knows the basics of Arabic and Russian.
Ken Webster
Ken Webster is a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University
From 2010 – end 2018 he was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy pioneer organization, where he helped shape current notions of a ‘circular economy’.
His book The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows (2nd Edition 2017) relates the connections between systems thinking, economic and business opportunity and the transition to a circular economy.
William O’Brien
Will is an accomplished business executive with extensive global experience, as a change agent, entrepreneur, advisor, attorney and educator in climate change and environmental sustainability. His accomplishments include substantive results in business start-ups, leadership, professional services, marketing and management consulting.
He is a Professor of Practice at Clark University School of Management and also teaches Consulting for Sustainability Capstone at Harvard Extension School. Since developing the course in 2007, Will has advised graduate/executive students, at various business schools, resulting in successful consulting engagements for over 500 client organizations worldwide.
Will is dedicated to developing future leaders in the sustainability profession and has served on various non-profit boards related to Sustainability practices in business.
Cynthia Reynolds
RSA Fellow, lifelong learner, mentor and serial entrepreneur passionate about how the combination of technology, innovative business models and the use of global networks and resources can create social, economic and environmental impact. Combining her broad background in technology and focus on sustainability, she has a proven record of converting ideas into action for positive societal change.
Founder and Systems Architect of Circular Regions – a cross-sector, multi-stakeholder, data-driven platform designed to activate Circular Eco-systems and bridge top-down and bottom-up through digitised living circular case studies.
Convener of the Circular Economy Coalition – An international coalition of value-aligned individuals and organisations with Founding Members in over 20 countries collectively advancing the circular economy through shared tools and resources. Connecting Research & Academia, the Third & Private Sectors as well as the Public & Financial Sectors. Supporting cross-pollination of data and research for systems awareness
Active member of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform Leadership Groups including Economic Incentives, Network Governance, Cities & Regions, Biodiversity, Social Enterprise.
Valeria Cheshko Radosavljević
Certified Circular Economy Specialist and business development professional with 15+ years of experience across several industries and disciplines. Pragmatic, open-minded, entrepreneurial and solution-oriented. Enjoying a challenge and getting things done, excellent in mapping out relevant ecosystems, identifying common interests and establishing mutually beneficial relationships with all stakeholders.
Currently offering consulting services for businesses and organisations, which would like to understand the meaning of circularity and sustainability, its relevance and application to their operations, as well as to embark on the path of transformation towards (greater) circularity and sustainability to achieve long-term resilience and sustainable competitive advantage.
In 2015 founded a company to bring to the market a novel disruptive green technology and machinery for the upcycling of feather waste into high-quality protein-rich feed ingredient for aqua feed and pet food, enabling a strong circularity link between food and feed industries.
Prior to that worked as an Investment Director at P&S East Growth private equity fund and Country Manager for Ukraine at P&S Capital, also including cooperation with Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild Europe in relation to their entering the Ukrainian market.
Holds an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Economics from the University of Maastricht. Completed Circular Economy and Biobased Industries Micromasters study programmes by the Wageningen University.
Daliya Safiullina
Daliya Safiullina is a results-driven Sustainability consultant with over 9 years of experience that lies at the junction of sustainability, urban planning, sociocultural modelling, environmental design, circular and regenerative economics. She has invested her career in transforming cities to a fundamentally sustainable state, makingthem more comfortable to live in, while regenerating urban ecosystems.
Daliya had been managing large-scale urban development projects at a multidisciplinary strategic consulting Strelka KB, based in Moscow, leading teams and international experts to develop tailored vision and strategy to be translated into real action plans, from Russia and CIS to China and Middle East. Daliya’s projects include spatial development strategies at scales ranging from neighborhoods to cities and regions, renovation of major public spaces for 40 cities as part of FIFA World Cup 2018 legacy. Realized projects were shortlisted in international awards, including ISOCARP and Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence, Gulf Sustainability and CSR Awards.
Having a formal training in Architecture (MArchfrom Montana State University), she has expanded her expertise while pursuing Sustainable Cities and Communities graduate certificate from Harvard Extension School,learning the frameworks of circular and regenerative economics, renewable energy, decarbonisation of the building sector.
PRIVACY NOTICE FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES
INTRODUCTION
You have shown interest in joining C.E.A. CIRCULAR ECONOMY ALLIANCE LTD (hereinafter referred to as “CEA”, “we”, “us”) and therefore you are considered as a potential employee of CEA. This Notice describes how CEA (the Data Controller) handles your personal information when you apply for a job or other role with us and the rights you have in connection with that information as per Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (GDPR) and the Law 125(I)/2018 (local law). It is important that you read through this Notice carefully. The term “Candidate” is used in this Notice to refer to anyone who applies for a job role or seeks to work with or for us.
CEA is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your Personal Data in an open and transparent manner. We will handle your personal information with full respect to your personality and your rights arising from GDPR and the local law.
CEA follows an active recruitment policy of people from diverse cultures and encourages international mobility.
Please ensure that you read this notice and any other similar notice we may provide to you from time to time when we collect or process personal information about you.
DEFINITIONS
Controller means the responsible party within the meaning of Cyprus`s Law providing for the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data and the Free Movement of such Data in 2018 (Law 125(I)/2018) and the EU`s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Personal data means any information about you, that could identify you directly or indirectly, such as your name, ID number, and phone number.
Processing means any operation or set of operations performed on Personal Data, by automated means or otherwise, including collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.
Sensitive Personal Information means any information or opinion about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinion or association, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, sexual preferences or practices, trade or professional associations and memberships, union membership, criminal record1, health or genetic information and biometric information.
INTERPRETATION
A reference to a particular law is a reference to it as it is in force for the time being taking account of any amendment, extension, or re-enactment, and includes any subordinate legislation for the time being in force made under it.
Unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to one gender shall include a reference to the other gender.
Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular shall include the plural and, in the plural, shall include the singular.
We may collect the following information during your recruitment:
Your name, surname, your contact details (i.e. address, fixed and mobile phone numbers, email address).
Details of your qualifications, and experience, (including CV, academic or educational degrees).
Your national identifiers such as nationality.
Cover letter where required.
Details of your references.
Any Personal Data provided to us about you by your referees (where and if applicable) such as background checks
E-mail correspondence we have with you.
Information collected from publicly available sources, including any social media platforms you use or other information available online.
We may collect the following information after the shortlisting stage, and before making a final decision to recruit:
Information about your previous academic and/or employment history, including your salary.
Information regarding your academic and professional qualifications.
Criminal record checks.
A record of your progress through any hiring process that we may conduct.
Information concerning your application and our assessment of it.
Any other information you voluntarily provide throughout the process, including online, through interviews, or other forms of assessment.
PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA
We collect and process Personal Data in full compliance with the provisions of the Regulation as well as the national legislation.
In the paragraphs below (1 to 3) there is a more detailed analysis of the purposes and the legal ground of the processing.
For the performance of a contract (Article 6 (1)(b)) The processing of Personal Data is necessary in order for us to be able to take steps and enter into a contract and/or engagement contract and/or to fulfill your orders and/or to provide you with related services. The purposes of the processing are adjusted according to the nature of the relationship.
For the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party (Article 6 (1)(f)) Except for the above case, either we or third parties, process your Personal Data when necessary, except if your fundamental rights and freedoms override the below interests. Below are some examples: – in court proceedings and/or to claim our legal claims. – in the context of the operation and security of the IT sector of the company.
– in the context of preventing and clarifying criminal offenses.It is noted that the CCTV system established outside our premises aims at providing a safe and secure environment for our employees and the smooth operation of our Company.
Due to your consent (Article 6 (1)(a)) If you give your consent to the processing of your Personal Data for specific purposes, such as for direct marketing purposes, the legal ground for the processing of your Personal Data is your express consent.Please note that you may at any time withdraw your consent. The validity of this revocation will concern the future.
AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING2
Candidates will not be subjected to decisions based solely on automated decision-making.
HOW WE WILL USE THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU
We will use the Personal Data we collect about you to determine whether your qualifications, skills, and background are suitable for the role. Where applicable, we will carry out reference and background checks, communicate with you about CEA’s recruitment process, keep records related to the selection and hiring process and comply with legal requirements and regulatory obligations as permitted by law.
We will typically collect and use this information for the following purposes:
to take steps to enter into a contract;
for compliance with a legal obligation;
for the purposes of our legitimate interests, but only if these are not overridden by your interests, rights or freedoms.
The provision of your Personal Data is a requirement necessary for the recruitment process and for entering into a contract, in the case where you are selected as the successful candidate.
DATA SHARING
Your information will be shared internally for recruitment purposes. This includes members of the HR Team, Interviewers involved in the recruitment process, other recruitment decision-makers within CEA and IT staff if access to the Personal Data is necessary for the performance of their roles (to take appropriate security measures to safeguard your Personal Data).
We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your Personal Data for their own purposes. We only permit them to process your Personal Data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions, when required to do so by law (legal compliance), where and if necessary. In case the employment application is successful, we might share your data with former employers to obtain references and work history, and professional bodies to obtain the respective background checks.
We note that your Personal Data are not transferred to third countries (countries outside the European Economic Area) or to international organisations.
DATA SECURITY
CEA takes the security of your data seriously. We have appropriate security measures, internal policies and controls in place to prevent Personal Data from being accidentally lost or used or accessed in an unauthorised way and is not accessed except by our employees in the proper performance of their duties. In addition, if CEA grants access to third parties for business purposes and only, the latter will be subjected to a duty of confidentiality.
We also have procedures in place to deal with any suspected Personal Data security breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.
DATA RETENTION
If your application for employment is successful, your Personal Data collected during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment.
If your application for employment is unsuccessful, we will hold your Personal Data on file for up to six (6) months after the end of the relevant recruitment process. At the end of that period, or if you request to delete your Personal Data during this period, we will securely destroy your Personal Data in accordance with our retention policy.
If there is a clear business reason for keeping recruitment information for longer than six (6) months, we may do so but we will first inform you of this, the longer period for which they will be kept and get your consent.
Please note that the above period might be extended if for legal (such as ongoing procedures) or technical reasons we cannot delete the above information.
RIGHTS OF ACCESS, CORRECTION ERASURE & RESTRICTION
In relation to your Personal Data, and as a data subject, you have the right to access, update, alter or delete any or all of your shared data. Specifically, you are entitled to the following rights:
right to access your personal data (Article 15): meaning you might receive information and/or copy of the personal information we hold free of charge.
right to rectification (Article 16): you might ask us to correct any mistakes in the information which we hold for you.
right to erasure (right to be forgotten) (Article 17): you might ask us to erase the personal information concerning you.
However, we reserve the right to deny the erasure, if the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interests or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
right to restriction of processing (Article 18):you might require us to restrict our processing of your personal data if you contest the accuracy of your personal data, the lawfulness of the processing, or you have objected to the processing (according to article 21) and you wait for our reply whether we have legitimate grounds which override yours.
right to data portability (Article 20): you have the right to request and receive the personal information concerning you that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and you have the right to transmit those data to a third party under certain circumstances.
right to object (Article 21): you have the right to object at any time to the processing of Personal Data concerning you which is based on the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or for the purposes of the legitimate interest pursued by us or third parties (Article 6 (1) (e) and (f) of the Regulation).
You also have the right to object under Article 22 at any time to the processing of Personal Data concerning you for direct marketing or decisions being taken by automated means which produce legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affect you.
right to withdraw your consent: you reserve the right to withdraw your consent at any time. However, the withdrawal of the consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
right to object to automated individual decision-making: you have the right to object to decisions being taken by automated means which produce legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affect you.
If you wish to exercise any of the above rights or to ask any questions or clarifications or to complain, please do not hesitate to contact us at CEA Operations info@circulareconomyalliance.com.
Moreover, you also have the right to file a complaint with the Commissioner of Personal Data Protection. For more information concerning the process of filing a complaint, please visit the website www.dataprotection.gov.cy/) or via e-mail at [email protected].
HOW TO COMPLAIN?
We hope that we can resolve any query or concern you raise about our use of your information. However, the Regulation also gives you the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, the Commissioner of Personal Data Protection. For more information concerning the process of filing a complaint please visit the website www.dataprotection.gov.cyor via e-mail at commissioner@dataprotection.gov.cy
CHANGES IN THIS PRIVACY NOTICE
We may change this privacy notice from time to time and in such cases, we will inform you accordingly.We also ask you to periodically visit our website for any updates on this privacy notice.
This Privacy Notice was last updated on 1 November, 2022.
CONTACT US
Questions, comments, and requests regarding this privacy notice are welcomed and should be addressed to [email protected]
AISKILLS4CIRCULARTRANSITION
Applying AI and a circular approach to the agri-food industry can improve our economy, society, and environment. Consequently, this project will develop AI knowledge and skills to support the circular transition of the agri-food sector. The AISkills4CircularTransition project will examine the opportunities and threats that follow the new task force defining novel business standards through implementing a training program on the opportunities of AI and CE within the agri-food industry.
The maritime transport sector is responsible for more than 75% of the European Union’s external trade and is projected to grow in global shipping volume. A landmark study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) shows that ships produce 13.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) caused by transportation in the EU. Other significant impacts of the sector include the doubling of the underwater noise levels in EU waters between 2014 -2019 and the introduction of half of all the non-indigenous species introduced into European seas since 1949.
In 1950 there were approximately 751 million people living in urban areas. According to the United Nations in 2018 that number rose to 4.2 billion or 55% of the world’s population. By 2050 the urban population is expected to rise to almost 70%. This places additional strain on countries to implement sustainable policies that balance the economic, environmental and social aspects, including resource management, sustainable infrastructure, housing, employment and basic services such as education and health care. Moreover, currently cities consume almost 80% of the world’s energy and produce more than 60% of greenhouse emissions (GHG) while the population density makes them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change including flooding, see rise, wildfires etc.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the emerging technologies which can enable and accelerate the transition from a linear to a Circular Economy (CE). In view of this the European Commission through the EU HORIZON 2020 MSCA RISE programme, funded the CE-IoT project with a budget of EUR 1,692,000 and a duration of four years, from July 2018 to June 2022. The consortium is comprised of 6 partners including academic institutions, as well as consulting, information technology and telecommunication companies.
Wildfires, drought, flash floods… the world seems caught in perpetual struggle as global weather systems shift and change. The result is not just loss of life and property, but also a trigger for disease, molds, and pests that can wipe out entire crops in 48-hours or less. Hence the need for remote sensing (aerial-imaging), a rapidly improving technology that uses special cameras to detect, among other things, oncoming devastation before it’s too late. Currently, remote sensing uses three types of camera platforms: satellites, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and manned aircraft. All have their strengths and weaknesses.
The European Shared Green Deal (SGD) is the European Commission’s blueprint and roadmap to make Europe the first climate neutral continent. The success of the deal depends on getting all European countries to transition to a sustainable and competitive economy. That includes, but is not limited to; Investing in environmentally friendly technologies. Supporting innovation across all industries. Rolling out cleaner, cheaper, and healthier forms of private and public transport.
Companies are quickly realizing that providing value to shareholders can only be achieved by providing value to all stakeholders. In other words, companies that are looking to remain competitive and profitable, need to integrate purpose in their business model and strategy aiming to contribute to society. One company that has seen this as fundamental to its business strategy already since many years, is Coca-Cola HBC. In this sense the collaboration between the Circular Economy Alliance as a leading innovator in the Circular Economy domain and Coca- Cola HBC as the world’s most sustainable beverage company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index follows naturally.
Dr. Alexandros Charalambides is an Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology, working on how innovation and entrepreneurship can play a significant role in a nation’s efforts for decarbonization and on predicting energy production from solar systems.
He is also the one of the founders of Chrysalis LEAP, the first cleantech accelerator in Cyprus, and has mentored and coached more than 100 startups over the past years.
Dr. Charalambides graduated from Imperial College London with a BEng and PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Sofia Hamika
Sofia Hamika is a Digital Operations and Quality Assurance Manager at Circular Economy Alliance. She maintains product quality, ensures the development of an efficient strategy to address the current and future digital business needs of Circular Economy Alliance, and manages in general thedigital branding aspects of the latter.
Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Media Culture and Production from Southampton Solent University.
She is a diligent, determined and team-minded individual, with extensive experience in Business Development, Digital Marketing, Multimedia Event Planning and Office Administration.
Ushma Menon
Ushma Menon is a Digital Marketing and Event Manager at Circular Economy Alliance. She is managing all company’s digital marketing operations and event coordination.
Ushma has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a specialization in Broadcast Journalism. She has various diplomas, including a Diploma in Journalism from the University of Art London.
Ushma is a passionate media professional with over eight years of experience in digital media. She completed several internships in different media sectors such as radio, news, advertising agencies, and television. Ushma has worked on multiple shows featured on both the NDTV and HISTORY channels. She was also selected as one of India’s Top Ten Communication Officers for 2022 by Women Entrepreneurs magazine.
Stephanie Pilavaki
Stephanie Pilavaki is a Client Relationship Manager at Circular Economy Alliance. She is responsible for managing new business opportunities including but not limited to new markets, clients, and partnerships promoting the domain of Circular Economy and our Body of Knowledge.
Stephanie has Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management, a Master’s degree in MBA and a Master’s degree candidate in Career Guidance and Counselling. Currently, she is attending the Train the Trainer program by the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus.
Stephanie has 11 years of experience in customer service, team coordination, and training in the educational sector. She is an experienced team leader and believes in the power of collaboration.
Joyce Halloun
Joyce Halloun is a Business Solution Manager at Circular Economy Alliance.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, as well as she is a certified Program Manager and currently pursuing her Masters in Circular Economy management.
Joyce is an accomplished businesswoman with over 10 years of experience in business development and logistics. She is a dedicated researcher for innovative concepts, preserving natural resources and emerging new technologies, the Circularity goals, the SDGs, and climate neutrality.
Panagiota Savva
Panagiota Savva is a Digital Operations and Quality Assurance Manager at Circular Economy Alliance. She maintains product quality, ensures the development of an efficient strategy to address the current and future digital business needs of Circular Economy Alliance, and manages in general thedigital branding aspects of the latter.
Her educational background includes a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism and a Bachelor’s degree in Byzantine and Modern Greek Language and Literature.
Panagiota has extensive experience in Quality Assurance in higher education, and she is a dedicated and reliable individual who is focused on her work and ensures that everything runs smoothly, and is responsible to keep progress on track.
Chrysostomos Dimitriou
Chrysostomos Dimitriou is an IT at Circular Economy Alliance. He balances organizational objectives to strategize and provides recommendations to maintain a competitive business edge.
Chrysostomos has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems. Previously, he worked in Higher Education in the Information Systems sector, specializing in solving technological problems and improving customer experience.
As a critical thinker, Chrysostomos identifies unconventional strategies to achieve success.
Georgia Solomou
Georgia Solomou is an Operations Manager at Circular Economy Alliance handling core human resource and operations functions. Her techniques and mindset quickly brought great value to the Organisation.
Georgia is a highly motivated, target-driven individual, with a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and a Master’s degree in International Relations. With more than 12 years of experience, Georgia is a powerful force in the workplace.
She assumed a leadership role as the Head of the Administration Department, and as the Data Protection Officer of the company for which she previously worked.
Christos Papakyriakou
Christos Papakyriakou is an entrepreneur, co-founder, and Director of the Circular Economy Alliance. He graduated from Imperial College with a BSc. in Biochemistry and an MSc. in Finance.
Christos has explored operational and strategic opportunities for several projects in Europe and the Middle East, where he was responsible for idea generation, research, strategy and fundraising.
Previously, Christos worked at Dresdner Kleinwort in London in the IPV department for Structured Credit. He has also completed an internship in FX options trading with Calyon Investment Bank London.
Jonathan T. Scott
Jonathan Scott is a senior research fellow at the Ecole des Ponts Business School’s Circular Economy Research Center (CERC). Beyond this, he is a teacher, manager and entrepreneur with over 28 years of business and higher education teaching experience in 17 different countries.
He has taught at the Rotterdam School of Management, Audencia Nantes School of Management, EADA School of Management and Bradford University. He has also conducted seminars and workshops at the Lorange Institute, the University of Perugia, the Yancheng Institute of Technology, and several private business training centres.
Johnathan has several degrees and certifications, including a Bachelor of Science, an MBA and MA in management, and a CELTA teaching certification from Oxford Brookes University.
He has written several business and management books, including Fundamentals of Leisure Business Success, The Concise Handbook of Management, Managing the New Frontiers, and The Sustainable Business.
Matthew Greenley
Matthew Greenley is the Director of International Cooperation at the Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment. Since 2014, Matthew has established partnerships with local and international universities, including the Romanian Government, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee.
With over ten years of diverse professional experience, Matthew Greenley offers research, strategic planning, and international project management skills. Over the years, he has partnered with government and industry leaders to promote the Circular Economy concept and principles.
Matthew strives to apply the full range of his abilities in all that he does. Since 2020, he has been a research fellow at CERC and assists in developing the Circular Economy Alliance and Circular Economy-related research and projects.
Dr. Saman Sarbazvatan
Dr. Saman Sarbazvatan is a passionate technologist with more than two decades of hands-on cross-sectoral experience. Saman works on the convergence of Circular Economy, Digital Economy, and Sustainable Competitiveness as a practitioner, professor, researcher, and senior advisor.
Saman works with academia and industry to bridge the gap between research and practice. He focuses on the applications and implications of enabling technologies in propelling inclusive, impact-oriented, and purpose-driven innovations in business, industrial, and economic models toward SDGs, ESG, CSR, and Circular Economy.
Alon Rozen
Alon Rozen is Dean, CEO, and Professor of Innovation at Ecole des Ponts Business School. Alon helps students and companies succeed in new business ventures in his multifunctional roles.
After obtaining an MBA at the venerable Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, Alon spent over 20 years in startups and consulting. Later, Alon taught others what he learned to expand his impact.
Alon developed a unique framework called Dynamic Business Modeling, inspired by his research on business model innovation throughout his doctoral studies.
Over the years, Alon’s mission has naturally evolved into a growing passion for the Circular Economy and business models.
Chrysostomos Adamides
Chrysostomos Adamides is a specialist with the CEA and a researcher with the Circular Economy Research Centre at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech. His main area of focus is stimulating organizational transformation and the transition to circular business models through the development of the skills and competencies of the workforce.
Chrysostomos has an ALM in Sustainability and an MSc in Finance. Before joining the CEA, Chrysostomos worked for several years as part of the European Commission’s field team to develop and implement migration management action plans. In this capacity, he contributed to improving the health care provision and reception conditions for migrants in Greece and Cyprus.
Dr. Chiara Battistoni
Chiara Battistoni is a Circular Economy Specialist and an Industrial and Systemic Designer. In 2020 she held a Ph.D. in Management, Production and Design in Politecnico di Torino (IT) where she focused on relationships between Systemic Design and Circular Economy in the manufacturing sector and the opportunities at the entrepreneurial level. She has also developed several research activities with the Systemic Design Research Group in Politecnico di Torino (IT). Chiara has collaborated on many national and European projects, such as RETRACE, with the Italian startup Mercato Circolare and with the international Blue Economy network by prof. Gunter Pauli. Since 2022 Chiara is a researcher at Università IUAV di Venezia (Venice, IT).
Dr. Hernan Ruiz Ocampo
Dr. Hernan Ruiz Ocampo is a senior researcher at the Circular Economy Research Center (CERC) and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC). He is responsible for managing, coordinating and writing proposals for European projects.
Hernan’s research focuses on applying and identifying circular strategies in different industrial sectors. He also contributes to developing a body of knowledge to empower the workforce toward the transition to the Circular Economy.
Hernan obtained his Ph.D. in Process and Bioprocess Engineering at the Institut Mines-Telecom Atlantique. His research was part of an industrial project to develop new technologies for an SME in the water sector.
Hernan also has an MBA in Innovation Management, two Master’s degrees in Chemical and Biological Engineering and Urban Environments, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.
Vlatka Katusic
Vlatka Katusic is a senior researcher at Circular Economy Research Center, responsible for managing, coordinating, and writing proposals for European projects. She is also a Circular Economy Specialist at CEA, developing content for a body of knowledge on the Circular Economy.
Vlatka has over ten years of experience as an environment and sustainability specialist for several small-medium-sized consultancy firms. Her expertise includes designing and implementing long-term sustainability strategies, facilitating public consultations, social dialogue, mediation, and negotiations.
After graduating with an MBA in Innovation Management in 2019, Vlatka embarked on a doctorate research journey at Ecole des Ponts Business School in Paris. On top of this, she holds an MSc in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development and a Bachelor of Law.
Vlatka loves working in multidisciplinary, collaborative, and international environments. She aims to close the idea-action gap for sustainability to implement Circular Economy principles.
Ilma Jabeen
Ilma Jabeen is a sustainability professional. She has researched and experimented with Circular Economy principles both at an academic and practical level.
Ilma’s work is at the forefront of Circular Economy, focusing on circular business models, cross-sector collaboration, energy transition and process management, where she strives to turn sustainability goals into practices. Ilma has worked with various stakeholders, including governments, contractors, and waste management firms.
In her pursuit to make building construction more sustainable, she obtained a Master’s in Building Engineering and specialised in Technology for Sustainable Development.
Ilma excels in analytical research, market analysis, stakeholder engagement, and understanding stakeholder needs.
Dr. Alessio Franconi
Alessio Franconi, PhD in Circular Design from Iuav University of Venice (IT), is a research fellow at Brunel University London and the Circular Economy Research Center. His research interests lie at the intersection of Circular Economy, design strategies, Industry 4.0, and the Product Service-System.
Alessio is a member of the Circular Metal Research Center, one of five transdisciplinary Circular Economy centres sponsored by the UK Research and Innovation’s Strategic Priorities Fund program.
In addition to his research activities, Alessio is the creator and curator of Circular Design, the first open-source tool for organising and managing circular design strategies.
He was recognised as one of the first Blue Economy experts at the University of Pécs (H) in 2016 by Prof. Gunter Pauli and selected for the prestigious Fulbright-Fondazione Simone Cesaretti fellowship by the Fulbright Italy commission in 2018. During his Fulbright research, he conducted studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology (NY, US).
Joyce Halloun
Joyce Halloun is a Business Solution Manager at Circular Economy Alliance.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, as well as she is a certified Program Manager and currently pursuing her Masters in Circular Economy management.
Joyce is an accomplished businesswoman with over 10 years of experience in business development and logistics. She is a dedicated researcher for innovative concepts, preserving natural resources and emerging new technologies, the Circularity goals, the SDGs, and climate neutrality.
Dr. Walter Stahel
Dr. Walter Stahel is the founder of the Product-Life Institute in Geneva––a company that aims to provide practical financial and economic growth strategies with lower resource consumption.
Beyond this, Dr. Stahel is an architect, researcher, industrial analyst, educator, author and speaker. He is also a member of several Scientific Advisory Boards and a Senior Researcher at the Circular Economy Research Center at École Ponts Business School.
Dr. Stahel teaches at the University of Surrey’s Engineering and Physical Sciences faculty, where he shares his knowledge with the next generation.
William Van Wyk
With a Career spanning 20-years with 10-years dedicated to the Renewable Energy industry in Southern-Africa, William has gained valuable knowledge on what drives these markets. As a Certified Financial Modelling & Valuation Analyst, Certified Circular Economy Professional, and his applied skills gave him the ability to assess and evaluate Renewable Energy Projects from a more holistic angle. William’s experience in African markets and the Geopolitical complexities gave him a strong capacity to commercialize opportunities. His passion for personal development is constantly leading him to pursue continuous education and it was his way forward in self-investment by gaining numerous certifications in Renewable Energy Technology advancements, Finance Markets, and International Business Management concepts. William has proven his ability to support both Technical & Financial Stakeholders and heavily contribute to the greater Southern African market he is active in.
Stefano Ingallina
“Stefano Ingallina has a strong interest in diplomacy, international relations, and geopolitics. Throughout his career, he contributed to building political strategies and developing projects on the topics of interregional cooperation, European integration and environmental policies. Stefano has been working for the European Economic and Social Committee, at the Sicilian Parliament, and in the private sector taking care of regional cooperation and internal and external relations. Currently, he plays a pivotal role within the Movimento Europeo Italia as youth national coordinator. He holds two master’s degrees in “International Studies and Environmental Policy”, in Italy and the Netherlands. He is passionate about all topics related to sustainable development, the circular economy model and environmental protection. He likes challenges and international initiatives and is willing to challenge any obstacles to fight against climate change. Regarding the circular economy, his journey started in 2015 and since then he never stopped conducting research, connecting people and institutions and sharing his passion for this model.”
Jon Luckhurst
Jon Lockhurst is a founder of Development Group International (DGI), a company he developed in 2009 with a mission to improve the health of individuals and organizations.
Beyond his role with DGI, Jon has vast experience in telesales, business development, client management, and coaching. Jon has also worked in the learning and development sector, providing clients with management and leadership training after university.
Today, Jon is proud of DGI’s success and continued commitment to supporting people’s well-being.
Prof. Gene Crozier
Professor Gene Crozier is an associate of Development Group International (DGI) with over 30 years of experience in the leadership development field.
Gene has a long history in accreditation, building institutions, designing qualifications and assessing individual and organisational capability. Previously, Gene held the role of Executive Director at BlessingWhite MENA (GP Strategies).
Gene is passionate about the circular industry and believes that Circular Economy thinking will radically change our approach to life.
Dr. Saman Sarbazvatan
Dr. Saman Sarbazvatan is a passionate technologist with more than two decades of hands-on cross-sectoral experience. Saman works on the convergence of Circular Economy, Digital Economy, and Sustainable Competitiveness as a practitioner, professor, researcher, and senior advisor.
Saman works with academia and industry to bridge the gap between research and practice. He focuses on the applications and implications of enabling technologies in propelling inclusive, impact-oriented, and purpose-driven innovations in business, industrial, and economic models toward SDGs, ESG, CSR, and Circular Economy.
Dr. Robert Rosenfeld
Dr. Robert Rosenfeld is an experienced educator and facilitator helping senior leaders in organisations define and implement strategies that deliver sustainable business value.
As an entrepreneur, Robert combines a practical commercial perspective with his leadership approach. Robert formulates and implements strategy, culture, change management, and business growth.
Throughout his career, Robert’s teaching, consulting and research activities have focused on the strategic and organizational implications of changing industry paradigms and their impact on commercial business models.
Dr. Barak Ben-Avinoam
Dr. Barak Ben-Avinoam is the Managing Partner of BGV Israel. Barak manages BGV’s operations in Israel and is responsible for identifying and mentoring the relevant companies in its portfolio.
Barak holds an MBA and a Doctorate of Business Administration from the International School of Management, Paris, France and a B.Sc. in Information Systems from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
Barak is also a member of the Investment Committee and Advisory Board at the Israel Innovation Authority, a mentor, and a panellist at several international acceleration programs.
Ali Rebaie
Ali Rebaie is a data anthropologist, industry analyst and global keynote speaker. In his early 20s, Ali founded Rebaie Analytics Group, which has acquired a global Fortune 500 clientele base.
Ali is consecutively listed among the top AI Influencers and featured in global media outlets for his contributions to the industry.
Ali has helped thousands of data enthusiasts adopt 21st-century skills. He shares his unique anthropological perspective on the challenges of the new economy, the fear of AI Robo-advisors replacing the role of human advisors, and how these issues affect human lives.
Circular Economy Alliance Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics
The Circular Economy Alliance platform, services, and products are designed to appeal to and be used by people from a wide variety of different backgrounds, countries, religions, and cultural norms. This diversity and inclusiveness are core values of the CEA, and we encourage our Community to embrace it and share it. However, the geographic and cultural diversity can make effective communications and general policy definition a bit challenging.
That said, CEA is committed to advancing the transition to a just and inclusive Circular Economy which aims to decouple economic growth from resource use, eliminate waste by design, and tackle climate change. To achieve its mission and vision of a socially fair Circular Economy, CEA has adopted the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility and endeavours to promote the common good while creating value for all stakeholders. With this in mind, the Code of Conduct has been developed to ensure all activity on the platform and within the CEA community is mutually respectful. The Code of Ethics sets out the guiding ethical principles relative to all professional activities of the certified members of the Circular Economy Alliance, informs the actions of our partner network, and defines the conduct of CEA staff and persons acting on behalf of the Company.
The purpose of our Code of Conduct & Code of Ethics is to ensure that the Circular Economy Alliance platform (the Platform), products and services are inclusive and that we, our members, and our community uphold the principles and values linked to Circular Economy, social responsibility, sustainable development and all relevant domains, to ensure that people and the planet are not harmed in the name of profit, and that we all conduct ourselves with mutual respect.
Code of Conduct
The CEA Code of Conduct reflects the ethics and values of the Platform, product, services, and community. It has been prepared with members of the CEA community (the Community), content contributors, instructional designers, and administrators based on established best practices. With the involvement of our stakeholders, we will continue to update the Code of Conduct as we add new products, services, and activities and as we receive feedback from our learners and community members.
We cannot foresee all eventualities and align with all local regulations, so the Code of Conduct should indicate the nature of interactions and the social dynamic we would like to see on this Platform and within the Community. In the event of an issue not covered by this Code of Conduct, the CEA team will decide whether a behavior is acceptable or not, in a manner that is as fair and transparent as possible, while respecting the confidentiality of all involved.
This Code of Conduct applies to all activities on the Talent Learning Management Platform, the Circular Economy Alliance website, its social media pages (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Discord, etc.), including comments, forum posts, and private messages.
Certified Alumni, members of the Community, as well as candidates for Circular Economy certification are encouraged to adopt the following guidelines for conduct:
Contribute to maintaining a safe, supportive, and orderly online learning environment that is conducive to learning and to show respect and dignity to other persons and to property.
Contact or communicate with CEA administrators and other personnel in a respectful, positive manner.
Behave and communicate on and off the Platform in accordance with the principles of Circular Economy, social responsibility, and inclusiveness.
Help ensure all CEA members and personnel have a positive experience in all interactions with you.
Appropriate behavior we encourage is as follows: communicating and interacting with respect; demonstrating empathy and sensitivity; giving constructive feedback; acting in accordance with the principles of inclusiveness, that is, showing respect for other norms, cultures, life preferences; promoting the values and principles of Circular Economy, social responsibility, and sustainable development.
Maintain behavior free from all forms of bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
Other forms of inappropriate behavior that will not be tolerated include dangerous, inciteful, or hateful speech; harassment or intimidation; threats of violence; intentional disruption of online discussion, webinars, conference, or other events; retaliation; influencing or encouraging any of the above.
We are a learning community, united around the principles of Circular Economy. As such, we encourage experimentation, a growth mindset, and tolerance for failures, mistakes, or lack of understanding.
Despite our shared values, disagreements and misunderstandings are bound to occur in a community as diverse as ours. In that event, have a calm discussion, ask for clarification, and don’t assume that someone is intentionally being offensive.
Please get in touch with the site administrators to report any conduct, posts, activity or content that you do not believe is in accordance with this Code of Conduct. We encourage the Community members to report any incidents that violate the Code of Conduct. The CEA team will respond in a timely manner, and the member who violated the Code of Conduct will be contacted directly. Please use the Contact Us link to report any breaches.
Please protect your own and other people’s privacy. Please be mindful not to post or otherwise share your own or other people’s personal information publicly online.
Unless otherwise stated, all content posted on the Talent Learning Management System is private and is not searchable online.
Unless otherwise stated, all content posted on the Community platform is publicly visible and searchable online.
If you delete your CEA Community account, you can request that your Community posts and private messages be removed or anonymized.
The website administrators may delete activity, comments, posts, and equivalent that do not adhere to the CEA Code of Conduct.
In the event of a breach of the Code of Conduct, we either issue a warning, announce an account suspension or, in the event of a grievous violation, we may announce account expulsion and removal from the platform and the Community.
If you are part of the Community, we share the same principles. Let’s share the responsibility for creating a positive dynamic on the Platform.
Code of Ethics
Certified Alumni, members of the Community, as well as candidates for Circular Economy certification are strongly encouraged to uphold the highest standards of ethical norms in line with Circular Economy principles and values:
Act with transparency, honesty, integrity, and make the interests of society and the environment a priority, avoid any known conflicts of interest, and aim to create value for all stakeholders.
Promote the circularity and sustainability of the systems regulating economic life according to the principles of “people, planet and prosperity”.
Act with respect for others and the environment and practice their professional activities in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner that upholds the values of equity, equality and tolerance.
Exercise their leadership and decision-making skills in the pursuit of establishing a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and in society.
Act in a way that furthers the integrity of the discipline of Circular Economy and its representatives.
The code of conduct is regularly reviewed to reflect necessary adaptations that emerge from input received through our CEA members’ reporting or by changes to the prevailing regulatory framework.
Tze Ni Yeoh is a Packaging Sustainability Innovation Manager at Colgate-Palmolive, with broad experience in circular economy design and waste management infrastructure in the consumer goods industry.
In 2019, Tze founded the first Circular Economy Symposium at Harvard. As an economist and Circular Economy Specialist, Tze focuses on developing solutions to combat plastic waste, particularly in developing countries.
Tze was also a consultant at the World Bank, where she provides advisory on projects related to the Circular Economy, private sector competitiveness, and plastic value chain analysis.
Tze is an advocate for a zero-waste lifestyle and volunteers as a speaker and content creator for Zero Waste Malaysia.
Terry W. Himes
Terry Himes is a JPL Spacecraft and Software Engineer. He obtained his BS degree in Computer Science from Michigan State University with a Minor in Business and Systems Analysis.
Over 30 years ago, Terry had the chance to start his own software company, Princeton Networks Corporation. Shortly after, he began working on Deep Space missions on JPL’s Mars Observer spacecraft.
Terry has played critical roles for the successful development and Flight Operations of the Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter,
Mars InSight Lander, Mars Phoenix Lander, and missions to comets, Deep Impact and Rosetta.
Today, Terry has worked on over 30 deep space missions.
Phanos Theophanous
Phanos joined Barclays as a Managing Director in 2011, direct from a tenure as a partner at Deloitte. Before his time at Deloitte, where he was made Partner within 8 years, he completed an MSc in Mathematics at the University of York. Currently, Phanos is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and a Chartered Wealth Manager. He also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s prestigious Booth School of Business.
Manuel Maqueda
Manuel is an entrepreneur, a professor, a speaker and an international innovator focused on planetary regeneration. His current work explores how circular and regenerative economics can help businesses and governments navigate a world of fractured globalization, resource scarcity, and increasingly fragile supply chains.
Manuel Maqueda is Special Programs Instructor of Applied Circular Economics and Regenerative Economics at Harvard University. Previously, he created the Circular Economy online course at the University of California, Berkeley.
Manuel leads the Bionomia Institute, a boutique business consultancy specializing in applied circular and regenerative economics.
Recognized as an expert and a pioneer in plastic pollution, Manuel is co-founder of several landmark organizations, such as the Plastic Pollution Coalition and SUPER (Single-Use Plastics Elimination or Reduction), a non-profit organization that enables companies to eliminate single-use plastics through a tiered certification program
As a futurist thinker, Manuel is a member of the Strategic Foresight Board of the Circular Economy Alliance, and has been an adviser to renowned futurist organizations, including the Jeff-Bezos-funded Long Now Foundation, dedicated to fostering long-term thinking in the context of the next 10,000 years.
Henrik Homann
For over 20 years, Henrik Homann operated his family’s office, where he manages venture financing, private equity, and M&A advisory.
Henrik is a graduate of European Business School. His previous roles include Head of Business Planning for Airbus in Germany, CFO of TUI’s business unit Central Region, and being member of the Group Executive Committee of TUI for several years.
Dr. Walter R. Stahel
Dr. Walter Stahel is the founder of the Product-Life Institute in Geneva––a company that aims to provide practical financial and economic growth strategies with lower resource consumption.
Beyond this, Dr. Stahel is an architect, researcher, industrial analyst, educator, author and speaker. He is also a member of several Scientific Advisory Boards and a Senior Researcher at the Circular Economy Research Center at École Ponts Business School.
Dr. Stahel teaches at the University of Surrey’s Engineering and Physical Sciences faculty, where he shares his knowledge with the next generation.
Dr. Terence Tse
Dr. Terence Tse has a Ph.D. from University of Cambridge, UK. He started off his career in investment banking and consulting. He is an educator, speaker, and advisor.
Tse is a co-founder and Executive Director of Nexus FrontierTech, an AI scale up. In parallel, he is also a professor at Hult International Business School and regularly provides commentaries on the financial market in theFinancial Times, The Economist, the World Economic Forum.
Dr. Mark Esposito
Dr. Mark Esposito is a Professor of Business and Economics at the Hult International Business School where he directs the Futures Impact Lab. He is also a Resident Fellow and Professor of Economic Policy at Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai, as well as at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. He served as Institutes Council Co-Leader, at the Microeconomics of Competitiveness program (MOC) at the Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness, at Harvard Business School under the mentorship of Professor Michael E. Porter and still served as affiliate faculty to the program.
He is recognized internationally as a top global thought leader in matters relating to The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the changes and opportunities that technology will bring to a variety of industries. He is Co-Founder & Chief Learning Officer at Nexus FrontierTech, an AI scale-up venture. In 2021, he co-founded the Circular Economy Alliance where he serves as Chairman of the Strategic Foresight Board. He was inducted in 2016 on the radar of Thinkers50 as one of the 30 most prominent rising business thinkers in the world. He is a Senior Advisor to the Ideation Center of Strategy& at PwC.
He is a global expert of the World Economic Forum and advisor to national governments and currently serves as Subject Matter for the Prime Minister Office in the UAE.
He holds a Doctoral Degree in Business Administration from Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech, one of France’s most prestigious Grande Ecole.
Dr. Juergen Schroeder
Dr. Juergen Schroeder is a Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey & Company, Inc., and an investor and advisor for several start-ups focused on sustainability and the Circular Economy.
Dr. Schroeder has a Ph.D. in Economics from Ruhr University Bochum. For over two decades, he has supported global corporations in the travel, transport and logistic sector and provided consulting services on digital transformation and education.
As a member of the IACD, Dr. Schroeder actively contributes to his local network.
Dr. Alessandro Lanteri
Dr. Alessandro Lanteri is a Professor at the ESCP Business School ranked #4 by the Financial Times and some of the world’s top business schools.
Dr. Lanteri is an expert educator who helps multinationals and governments across five continents navigate turbulent environments and seize new opportunities.
Dr. Lanteri is also a bestselling author, well-known for his book Clever, which became an Amazon #1 bestseller in the UK and Italy. Dr. Lanteri published his new book called Innovating with Impact by the Economist in 2023.
Catherine Weetman
Catherine Weetman is an international speaker, workshop facilitator, coach, consultant, and host of the Circular Economy Podcast.
Catherine is the founder of Rethink Global––an organization designed to help businesses, social enterprises, and community groups use Circular Economy approaches to build a better world.
Beyond this, Catherine is an author. Her award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business, helps explains the what, why, and how of the Circular Economy.
Anne Babalola
Anne Babalola is a lawyer, investment and policy advisor, and consultant with degrees in law, public policy, and business administration from various universities.
Anne advises corporate, public, and state entities in Europe and Africa. Her work primarily focuses on private sector competitiveness, investment policy, and arbitration and regulatory governance.
Anne has also worked as an advisor for family office operations, strategy, investments, and private equity.
Circular Economy Alliance Members Story
As an organization, if you are interested in becoming a member of our network, please complete this application form with all pertinent information. Once your application has been approved, all the information presented below will be published on our Know
The C.E.A Circular Economy Alliance LTD (hereinafter referred to as ‘CEA’, Circular Economy Alliance’, the ‘Company’), in collaboration with the Circular Economy Research Center (hereinafter referred to as ‘CERC’) and École des Ponts Business School, offers various levels and bundles of certificationrelative to Circular Economy. The purpose is to unite core circular economy principles, skills,frameworks, tools, practices,and strategies under a single, universally recognized certification.
Applicant/Candidate/Participant/Recipient/User: shall mean the person, firm, company, partnership, association, or government agency or any other authority that will agree to CEA’s terms, so as for the latter to provide the services as described below and identified as such in the applicable Order Form, the General Terms and Conditions, the Terms and Conditions for Certification in Circular Economy and/or any other agreed written instructions and policies, to the former.
Body of Knowledge: The Circular Economy Body of Knowledge is a unique research-driven effort jointly led by the Circular Economy Research Center (CERC) of the École des Ponts Business School and the Circular Economy Alliance (CEA). The Pact for Skills, a flagship initiative of the European Commission launched on 10 November 2020, under the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience stresses the importance of joining forces and taking concrete action aimed at upskilling and reskilling the workforce. Responding to the call, CERC and CEA joined forces to provide the global workforce with credible, research- and practice-based skills training in the domain of Circular Economy. The existing gap between Circular Economy skill requirements and skills availability needs to be closed. In this respect, this novel and niche Body of Knowledge serves a purpose-driven agenda.
Course Bundles: shall refer to the courses included and/or required to validate to obtain a Certification.
Certificate orCertification or Certification Scheme: shall mean the certification related to the subject of Circular Economy and based on the Body of Knowledge.
Individual/Single Courses: shall refer to a specific course in the Body of Knowledge composed of several sections, learning “challenges” (brief knowledge check questions to help the learner assimilate the content) following each section, and final multiple choice randomized exam to validate the course. This can be referred to as a course or a module without distinction.
Order/Registration Form: shall mean CEA’s standard online registration form for Certification to be completed by an Applicant setting out the Services to be provided by CEA, together with any other information concerning the performance of the Services under these terms and conditions and the General Terms and Conditions.
In these Terms and Conditions:
Unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to one gender shall include a reference to the other gender.
Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular shall include the plural and, in the plural, shall include the singular.
Introduction
These terms and conditions define conditions, rights and duties, as well as the operating processes for obtaining a Certification in Circular Economy. It also contains information on Certificate maintenance or cancellation. The terms and conditions presented in this document govern the relationship between CEA and its Applicants and apply to all Applicants unless exceptions are specifically agreed upon between the parties. In any case, exceptions cannot in any way concern the conformity assessment procedures according to which CEA is required to operate. If CEA, or the Applicant, is unable to fulfil the obligations because of force majeure (forces beyond CEA’s control, including, without limitation, war declared or undeclared, natural disasters, fire, flood, strikes, pandemic, labour troubles, or other industrial disturbances, governmental restrictions or regulations, riots, insurrections, or other cause beyond the control of the CEA), an extension period for the fulfilment can be agreed upon between the Applicant and CEA (the ‘parties’).
CEA has established policies, procedures, and fees that govern Certification decisions, the uses of Certification, and interactions with Applicants. These policies, procedures, and fees may be revised by CEA at any time without prior notification. These policies, procedures, and fees are freely available on CEA’s website. Any person who registers with CEA accepts and agrees to abide by these policies and procedures in all dealings with CEA.
Certification Application Process & Course Registration
Certificates are issued as follows:
Certificate of Completion (CoC), for individual courses of the Body of Knowledge.
Circular Economy Professional (Foundational)/(CEP), with recipients thereof, referred to as Circular Economy Professionals.
Circular Economy Manager (Advanced)/(CEM), with recipients thereof, referred to as Circular Economy Managers.
Circular Economy Specialist (High-Mastery)/(CES), with recipients thereof, referred to as Circular Economy Specialists.
How to Apply for Certification:
The following steps describe the application process:
Participants/Applicants can register for all CEA courses online by completing the online registration form. It is very important to mention here that if you as an Applicant, wish to skip the registration part, on the website, you are allowed to and you can still proceed with the purchase. Upon checkout, your account will automatically be created on the website.
Either while purchasing or registering for a course, an account (the Users’ Account, also known as the Members’ Profile) will automatically be created that will contain the Participant’s personal details including but not limited to name, surname, job title, and country.
While purchasing you will have the option to choose the desired Course or Certification bundle and make the appropriate payment. You will receive an e-mail confirming that we have received your payment details.
Upon validation of payment, a link from our Talent Learning Management platform (Talent LMS) will be sent to the email account used for registration. This gives the Applicant access to the learning dashboard with the content registered for.
Upon first connection to the Talent LMS, Applicants are kindly requested to complete their learning profile so that we can provide the best learning experience possible. The Talent LMS is accessible on both mobile and desktop to provide a convenient learning experience.
The course, or Certification Bundle the Applicant has registered for will be immediately visible once the Applicant logs in and confirms their identity. In the event that there are prerequisites for certain Courses, only the initial courses will be fully accessible. Completing the prerequisite chapters unlocks the following courses.
Enjoy the Circular Economy upskilling journey!
Certification, Eligibility, Effort and Price
The following is a table summarizing Certification by number of Chapters, expected learning effort, target audience / recommended background and experience, and the price of each certification.
Certification
Chapters
Expected effort
Desired academic background
Desired work
experience
Price
Certificate of Completion (CoC)
1
3 hours
Open access
None required
€95
(+VAT where applicable)
Circular Economy Professional (Foundational)/(CEP)
4
16 hours
Open access
None required
€385
(+VAT where applicable)
Circular Economy Manager (Advanced)/(CEM)
8
30 hours
Open access
None required
€745
(+VAT where applicable)
Circular Economy Specialist (High-Mastery)/(CES)
12
45 hours
Open access
None required
€1,085
(+VAT where applicable)
All Certificates are delivered by École des Ponts Business School of Paris, France, and issued through a digital certificate platform. All certified members receive a unique private link to their blockchain-secured verifiabledigital certificate that they can choose to share (or not). This ensures that third parties (recruiters, HR directors, academic institutions) can verify the veracity of all CEA Certificates easily and efficiently.
Validation & Assessment
Each Course requires successfully achieving a score of at least 70% on a randomized 10-multiple choice, timed exam (also referred to as the exam) relative only to the content of the Course and not requiring any previous knowledge. All Courses are self-contained in relation to validation and obtention of Certification. All courses of a Certificate must be successfully validated through the successful exam outcome, and they have to be taken in the predefined order in view of obtaining the Certification.
There is no exam requirement when purchasing any of the individual courses for achieving a Certificate of Completion (CoC).
Time Allotted
Learning is online and self-paced. Each exam is available upon completion of the Course content, and you will have 15 minutes in the end to answer all questions. The exam results are automatically displayed on the screen and available in the Talent LMS. The Course exam can be taken three times. In the event the Participant does not pass the first three attempts, there is an option to pay an additional €45 to take the exam again. This is a safety precaution to eliminate possible abuse of the multiple-choice exam format. The exam should be easily validated in one to three attempts for anyone applying themselves seriously to the Course content. The exam retakes option can be renewed at the Participant’s discretion, as often as desired or necessary, up to one year from initial registration.
All Courses must be validated within one year of the initial registration. Thereafter the content will no longer be accessible, and no Course exam takes, or retakes will be possible. This means that once you register for the course from the enrolment date, you will have 365 days to complete the course. Upon successful completion of the course earlier than 365 days, your access to the learning platform will be revoked and you will have 14 days to download any available materials.
Payment & Refunds
Payment must be completed before starting any course(s) and it is concluded at the registration phase. The amount to be paid is always displayed clearly for each product and the calculation of possible taxes such as VAT takes place visibly at the checkout. If you decide not to complete a course or certification that you have paid for, CEA may be able to refund your payment depending on your situation. This refund is subject to verification that you have not made any use or interacted with the digital material which consists of the course including but not limited to the Chapter book, the e-learning course, and the exam questions.
In accordance with EU guidelines relative to “buyer’s remorse”, if you pay for a Course or a Certification bundle, you can request a refund within 2 weeks (14 days) after your payment. Once you have already initiated the delivery of the digital content of the course, included but not limited to downloading the respective Chapter or initiating the digital delivery of the e-learning course, and/or earned your Certificate, you are no longer eligible for a refund, even if you earn your Certificate within the two-week refund period.
We do not offer partial refunds for Courses not completed. If you are not sure you will want to complete the entire bundle of a Certification, we recommend you pay by Course.
Membership
Following successful completion of a Certification, Certified Members/Certified Learners are automatically registered as verified members of the CEA certified members Directory. Membership is non-transferable. As a certified member, you can opt-in to receive regular updates, news, invitations to events, and access to new research and resources on the Circular Economy. You will receive exclusive invitations to community events, conferences, presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities.
As the field of circular economy evolves, so will the best practices, strategies, and skills necessary for adopting it successfully. CEA and CERC are committed to regularly updating the circular economy certificate curriculum and Body of Knowledge to integrate the latest developments. Certified members will be notified of new additions, so they can continue to maintain their circular economy expertise. In addition, Certified Members will receive ‘early bird’ and ‘loyalty’ discounts on all future educational and training products developed by CEA and CERC.
Maintaining Active Certification
A large-scale transition to a circular economy depends on a highly skilled community actively collaborating towards a shared goal. By remaining an active member of the Circular Economy Alliance certified members directory, you will stay updated on the current developments within the circular economy. You will also have access to a directory of certified professionals sharing experiences and best practices for applying circular solutions to real-world problems. In addition, for those with a valid and active certification, there will be no requirement to retake any assessment or exam (unless as stated above your certification and therefore your membership will expire in case of more than one calendar year without renewal). Upon expiration, you will be required to redo the certificate in the future in case you wish to reinstate it.
The initial membership period is valid for the one calendar year following the Certification. It will not be automatically renewed; therefore, the respective notification of the renewal will be sent in advance to the contact details registered in your CEA account as a reminder. Maintaining your membership and renewing your Certificate’s validity requires an annual fee of €50. Only those with a valid and active certification can be members of the registered Circular Economy Alliance certified members directory.
The maintenance of the Certification applies to the Certified Circular Economy Professionals, Managers and Specialists (CEP), (CEM), and (CES) respectively. This does not apply to certificates of completion for individual courses (CoC).
Join the Circular Economy Alliance Community
All certified learnersare registered in the Circular Economy Alliancecertified members Directory¹.provided that they will give their consent to act as such.
Be part of a vibrant international community of CE stakeholders, researchers and organizations.
The Circular Economy Alliance works to unite businesses, NGOs, and government institutions around the transition from a linear to a circular economy. A certification on circular economy enables a common understanding of the prevailing circular economy topics and facilitates collaboration across industries, sectors, and borders to achieve sustainable, long-term change.
For or additional information or technical support, please see the Contact Us page on our website. Finally, we strongly recommend carefully reading our Privacy Policy and the General Terms and Conditions.
Last Updated: on February 23, 2023
Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan is the Co-founder and CEO of ESG Strategies. She helps clients discover and mitigate ESG operational risk through Circular Economy concepts and multi-dimensional partnerships.
Amy has a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Science from the University at Albany (SUNY) and a Master’s Degree from Harvard University in Business Management.
Today, Amy has nearly 20 years of experience in environmental risk, social cause, and regulatory governance. She is an advisor for leaders within industrial manufacturing, government, and community-based organizations.
Amy is also an Independent Director for the Oil Dri Corporation’s (NASDAQ ODC) Board of Directors and sits on the Boards Nominations Committee.
