The Ellen MacArthur Foundation today launched the Circular Economy 100 (CE100), a three-year program aimed at bringing together a network of 100 leading companies globally to facilitate development and commitment to new circular economy projects. The CE100 will provide executive education on key themes and emerging trends, share knowledge and new learnings, and identify and develop solutions to common challenges. The objective is that by 2015 participating companies will have triggered circular initiatives that will result in an aggregated economic benefit of $10bn for the businesses involved.
The launch comes as a result of the exceptional response from business to the publication of two reports by the Foundation, launched during the World Economic Forum in Davos, with analysis by McKinsey, which demonstrate over $1 trillion of opportunities posed by circular economy innovation. The creation of the new alliance is supported by the Foundation’s founding partners — Cisco, BT, National Grid, B&Q and Renault.
Twenty companies have already confirmed their membership of the program, including The Coca-Cola Company, M&S, IKEA Group, Morrisons, Tarkett, FLOOW2, Heights UK, iFixit, Ricoh, Vestas, WRAP, Turntoo and Desso. The CE100 will seek its remaining membership from industry sectors believed to be fundamental to the evolution of the circular economy.
“The circular economy represents a clear and proven opportunity for businesses around the world,” says Ellen MacArthur. “Our new initiative brings cohesion and focus to this opportunity and allows businesses to share experiences, learn from best practice and to work together to achieve real business benefits. Each of the members of the CE100 has made a commitment to a circular economy initiative. In total we anticipate that this have a value of more than $10 billion, encouraging innovation, investment and job creation.”
In addition to working with some of the world’s largest businesses, the program will include a parallel group of ‘emerging innovators’ in the form of new tech businesses believed to hold the key to unlocking innovation barriers to circular progress.
Kyle Wiens, Founder & CEO of iFixit, says, “Our linear economy has failed us. We're facing a future of resource scarcity, and it's critical that we take steps now to prepare for a new economic reality. I anticipate tremendous growth opportunities for businesses involved in repair, refurbishment and remanufacturing. We are looking forward to partnering with companies in the Circular Economy 100 to develop new, repair-driven business models.”
The CE100 is based on the principle that a global alliance across the business community can realize greater value, and faster, than companies operating individually and in isolation.
Membership of the CE100 allows companies to benefit from:
• privileged access to a library of best practice guidance and application tools
• access to an online executive education program
• access to a series of acceleration workshops aimed at stimulating circular economy innovation
• an annual summit which will expose members to latest thinking, offer an opportunity to showcase success stories and network with other CE100 members
“We’re very proud to be involved in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 Programme,” says Richard Gillies, Director of Plan A at Marks & Spencer. “Plan A is driving M&S to deliver restorative, circular systems for our products and services because we believe it’s crucial for the future of our company as the world faces up to the challenge of resource scarcity. We already have circular models in place, like our clothes recycling initiative Shwopping, but it is very early days and joining the CE100 Programme will help us learn more and share our experience with others."
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Published Feb 6, 2013 1pm EST / 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET