During the first two semesters of the Circular Shift project, partners and stakeholders were fortunate to take part in three masterclasses on the subject of circular economy and public procurement. There, they learned about value chain collaboration (VCC), internal commitment & behavioural change, and impact measurement & forecasting. Each of these three topics is the main focus of the three work packages organising Circular Shift.
Masterclass 1: Value Chain Collaboration (VCC) by Dr Jacqueline Cramer
On 26 June at the kick-off meeting in Utrecht, Circular Shift welcomed Dr Jacqueline Cramer, Emeritus Professor at Utrecht University, transition broker in circular economy transition, and former Dutch Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment.
Dr Cramer's masterclass highlighted the urgent context of overconsumption that first motivated the shift toward circularity, and explained how value chain collaboration methods can be instrumental. Dr Cramer explained the difference between various circular strategies, which she was the first person to introduce as the 10 R's.
Read the full summary of Masterclass 1.
Masterclass 2: Internal commitment and behavioural change by Mervyn Jones and Joan Prummel
During the second interregional meeting in Mechelen, the second masterclass was given by Mervyn Jones and Joan Prummel, Senior and International Advisor on Circular Economy at of Rijkswaterstaat, respectively.
Their masterclass introduced the concept of behavioural changes, and gave practical steps towards conducting a situational analysis within organisations. The presentation also showcased real-life cases of stakeholder management conducted by Rijkswaterstaat, and elucidated the most common barriers and success factors to achieving change.
Read the full summary of Masterclass 2.
Masterclass 3: Impact measurement and forecasting by Anne Rademaker and Rebecca Scholten
Also during the interregional meeting in Mechelen, the third masterclass was presented by Anne Rademaker and Rebecca Scholten, circular economy experts from the Netherlands and associated with Nyenrode Business University.
Their masterclass identified the essence of impact monitoring, considering both structural and behavioural pathways toward circular decisions. While structural pathways may follow legal or business frameworks like ISO Standards, ESPR, or ESG, behavioural models consider the motivation, ability, and prompts needed to activate impact.