Membership status: Strategic Partner
London is a world leading city in the transition to a circular economy and as such the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has been working with the Greater London Authority and ReLondon on various strategic projects since 2015. London has been a member of our network since 2015 and engaged in the Food Initiative as a Flagship City and the New Plastics Economy Initiative as a participant. The city has also had several touch points across various other Foundation activities such as the Disruptive Innovation Festival (ed. the precedent of The Circular Economy Show) and the Make Fashion Circular Initiative.
With London we welcome a third global city with committed city leaders and engaged citizens that can drive momentum by creating and enabling the conditions needed for a circular economy to emerge and thrive.
Cities are the engine room of the circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature.. London is taking a lead in pioneering the shift required to tackle the CO2 emissions associated with the carbon footprint of the stuff we consume. Our city already has a fledgling but burgeoning circular economy made up of businesses and community enterprises using innovative reduce, re-use, repairrepairOperation by which a faulty or broken product or component is returned back to a usable state to fulfil its intended use., rent, share and recyclerecycleTransform a product or component into its basic materials or substances and reprocessing them into new materials. models of working; and this strategic partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will help us inspire and empower even more action by boroughs, businesses and citizens to make transformational changes in their policies, practices and behaviours.
- Wayne Hubbard, CEO, ReLondon (formerly the London Waste & Recycling Board - LWARB)
In the year of COP26 and as we embark on a green recovery from COVID-19, it has never been more important to focus on how we use resources sustainably.
The Mayor has committed to making London a zero-carbon city by 2030 and his Green New Deal supports projects and creates jobs that equip Londoners and businesses to benefit from the opportunities presented by the transition to a zero-carbon future. The London Plan includes a world-first requirement for all large-scale developments to incorporate a circular economy statement in their planning submission and the Mayor is proud to be investing in London’s environmental and circular economy businesses through his Green New Deal fund.
In London, we’re delighted to be taking a leading role by joining the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Network. This builds on our existing work with the Foundation and ReLondon to create a more sustainable urban food system through the Food Flagship Initiative, cutting needless food waste and reducing the climate impacts of our food system. We look forward to working together to promote a resource efficient future and embed circular economy principles into our way of life.
Shirley Rodrigues, London’s Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy
