in content lists or on the content page.
Do applicant companies need to be registered in Europe?
Yes. The list of circular economy solutions for biodiversity will present companies from different European countries that offer circular economy solutions for tackling biodiversity loss. Any company applying to be included in the list must be registered in a country that is a member of the Council of Europe.
Can I submit my own company for the list?
Yes. Submit your proposal with the application form.
What kinds of companies can apply to be included in the list?
Any company whose business is based entirely or partly on the circular economy is eligible to apply. In the circular economy, the key idea is to create more value from existing products and resources instead of constantly producing something new. For our list, we are looking for companies offering circular solutions that help to prevent biodiversity loss and turn harmful environmental impacts into measures to strengthen biodiversity. Read more about the connection between the circular economy and biodiversity loss in Sitra’s “Tackling root causes” report.
We are looking for examples of circular economy business models and different regenerative solutions.
- Product–as–a–service: offering services instead of a product. The customer pays for a particular function or performance rather than owning a product.
- Circular inputs and design: using renewable, reusable, and recyclable materials as well as resource-saving principles in product design, sourcing, and manufacturing.
- Sharing platforms: increasing the capacity to use goods and resources and extending their life cycles through digital platforms, as a result of renting, selling, sharing and reuse.
- Product-life extension: using products according to their original purpose for as long as possibleor enabling several stages of reuse through maintenance, repair and refurbishment.
- Resource recovery and valorization: collecting and reusing resources from products and material streams, valorizing solutions which generate more value from existing materials, and material efficiency.
- Regenerative solutions: driving regenerative outcomes in areas under production, to improve soil health, carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, and diversity to build resilience.
Examples are especially invited from those sectors that have a strong impact on biodiversity (food and agriculture, buildings and construction, fibres and textiles, the forest sector), but in principle no sector or solution is ruled out. In other words, if your solution represents a sector other than those mentioned above but brings clear benefits for biodiversity, you should apply to be included.
Business solutions are what we are looking for. The company’s business operations do not need to be based fully on the circular economy, but it may constitute a part of the product or service it offers, for example.
What languages is the application form available in?
This is a European-wide search, so please complete the form in English.
Who decides which companies are included in the list?
The companies included in the list will be selected by a panel featuring experts from Sitra and a consultant partner.
On what basis will the panel select companies for the list?
The panel will select companies for the list based on the following criteria:
- the business model and economic viability;
- the innovativeness of the solution;
- the size of the underlying problem to be tackled;
- the mitigation hierarchy and use of existing resources;
- the firm’s targets for nature and resource use;
- the environmental impacts on the value chain.
How will the panel evaluate companies in practice?
When evaluating companies, the panel will use a scoring method in which companies are awarded points on a scale of 0 to 3 for each evaluation criterion. The panel may also award half points. Finally, the panel will assess the overall score on the same scale (0 to 3).
Will the panel evaluate all companies that have applied to be included in the list?
Sitra and its consultant partner will carry out a preliminary evaluation of all applicant companies, based on which the panel will select the companies for the final evaluation. The number of companies selected for the final evaluation will depend on the total number of applicants.
From among the companies that pass the preliminary evaluation, the panel will select between 40 and 80 companies for the final list. Sitra will decide on the number of these companies during the process. The decision will depend on, among other things, the total number of companies that have applied to be included in the list.
Will the list reflect Sitra’s view of the best circular economy companies in Europe?
No. The purpose of the list is not to adjudicate on the best circular economy companies in Europe that are involved in halting biodiversity loss. The list is intended to present an overview of the most interesting current circular economy solutions that are helping to prevent biodiversity loss.
Will Sitra rank companies according to their score?
Sitra will not rank companies according to the total score obtained in the evaluation process. Sitra will publish on its website the names of all companies that have applied to be included in the list. The purpose of the list is to present interesting circular economy solutions aimed at halting biodiversity loss without ranking them in any order.
Will the reasoning for the choices be made public?
Sitra will not publish the reasoning behind the choices. However, Sitra’s experts may discuss their choices with the representatives of the companies that applied or were submitted to the list. Sitra will publish the whole evaluation framework and criteria when the final list is released.
I did not make it to the list; who can I contact?
You can contact Sitra’s circular economy experts Riku Sinervo (riku.sinervo@sitra.fi) and Tim Forslund (tim.forslund@sitra.fi).
Can I apply to be added to the list at a later date?
There is no ongoing application process for the list. Sitra will announce on sitra.fi and its other channels if and when the search is reopened.
