TOMRA has taken on the role of Business Champion for the Global Circularity Protocol for Business (GCP), the company announced this week (September 16).
The GCP is the landmark framework developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the One Planet Network (OPN) to enable accountability and address key gaps in scaling global circularity.
With the guidance and engagement of industry circularity specialists like TOMRA, the GCP is expected to become a universal standard for businesses to measure, enhance, and report on their product and material circularity, taking a firm stand against greenwashing.
As an expert in resource and waste collection, recycling, reuse and sorting globally, TOMRA will share experience with business leaders on how to effectively navigate the challenges of implementing global circularity and provide step-by-step guides. This will help business comply to the protocol, leading the way in WBCSD’s Circular Products and Materials Pathway.
Tove Andersen, President and CEO of TOMRA, said: “Currently, only 7% of the world’s resources are circular, a number far below what is needed to reach the targets set in the Paris agreement.
“Many businesses want to contribute, but a lack of standardisation in reporting on circularity efforts opens for greenwashing, whether intentional or not. This has muddied the waters and made it difficult to assess companies’ actual contributions. By advocating for science-based targets, we aim to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.”
Filipe Camaño Garcia, Manager and Project Lead at WBCSD, said: “We’re thrilled to see TOMRA’s leadership and commitment in advancing the Global Circularity Protocol for Business. As a key member of our Business Advisory Committee, TOMRA brings invaluable expertise in resource efficiency and circular solutions. Their involvement as a Business Champion is critical in driving forward this universal framework.”
The GCP will provide businesses with a standardised framework for setting goals, tracking performance, and publicly reporting their circularity efforts, enabling accountability across organizations and borders. The protocol also aims at driving and guiding policy, and offers transparent, science-based guidelines to benchmark progress, identify areas for improvement, and align with global sustainability goals.
Quentin Drewell, Director, Products & Materials at WBCSD, said: “The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, pioneered by WBCSD in the 1990s, set the standard for managing carbon emissions. Today, the Global Circularity Protocol will become the next guiding star for improving business sustainability. – aiming to become the definitive framework for circularity by 2025.”