Circular Economy Green Deal

The Circular Economy Green Deal is a voluntary commitment in which the participating organisations commit to reducing their use of natural resources and setting effective goals, and to taking actions that promote a low-carbon circular economy. 

The actions must support the objectives concerning natural resources laid down in the Circular Economy Programme, carbon neutrality and the achievement of a sustainable economy by 2035. The commitments aim to reduce the use of raw materials, extend the useful life of materials and products, increase the supply of options that cause less burden on the environment and strengthen the natural capital, and develop new operational and business models that are in line with a circular economy. 

The Green Deal is intended for companies, sectoral organisations, municipalities and regions.

Current issues

• A presentation of the Circular Economy Green Deal: Circular Economy Green Deal – How to join (5 April 2024).
• The Policy Brief gives information on the preparation process, content and recommendations of the Circular Economy Green Deal on the basis of experiences gained in Finland. Policy Brief: Finland's Approach to Building Strategic Joint Commitment for Circular Economy Action | ym.fi 

This is how a Green Deal is created

The transition to a circular economy will take place in five areas of change: 

1. Resource-wise built environment
2. Industry based on a circular economy
3. Sustainable consumption and business
4. Material-efficient energy system
5. Renewing food system

The areas of change are divided into action areas that are described in the Circular Economy Green Deal package. 

In the commitment process

1. The organisation selects actions from at least two action areas and 
2. specifies in a more concrete way the actions the organisations intends to take in the selected action area. 
3. The evaluation group, composed of researchers, submits its recommendations to the Ministry to either approve or revise the commitment.
4. The highest decision-making body in the organisation accepts the commitment. 
5. The organisation reports on the progress of its actions on the Commitment 2050 platform every three years.

The Circular Economy Green Deal steering group monitors and boosts the implementation of the commitments.

By committing to the Green Deal the organisations make the actions a part of their own strategies and climate and/or nature work. Those who have made the commitment will ensure that all stakeholders in the value chain relevant to the implementation of the Green Deal are involved. The organisations commit to developing the management of their organisation, the competence of their employees and information management to support the circular economy.

What is to be gained from the Green Deal? 

The Circular Economy Green Deal is an operator-driven way to join forces and take a leap towards a circular economy and a circular economy market. The key ministries are working for the transition to a circular economy together with companies, NGOs, municipalities and regions.

The methodology offers a long-term strategic outlook of where we should be heading, which may help to make investments needed for the bioeconomy, for example. With the Green Deal the organisations can identify the most effective circular economy measures and take their own operations and the whole sector towards even more environmentally responsible practices. Often the circular economy measures will also bring savings and strengthen self-sufficiency and competitiveness. The methodology could become an “export product” developed jointly by the companies and public organisations that they can advertise both in the EU and in international contexts.

Those committing to the Green Deal receive support, information and coaching both from dialogues with the ministries and from the “home bases” to be set up. They support measures taken in the areas of change, provide encouragement, promote cooperation and help in finding sources of funding. By joining in, the organisations can show leadership in promoting a circular economy and gain opportunities for networking and developing cooperation with other stakeholders that aim for a circular economy. 

This is how the Green Deal was prepared

The process to prepare the Circular Economy Green Deal started in spring 2022 when the ministries invited sectoral organisations, companies, regions, cities, municipalities and other parties to participate in the preparation process. The ground rules for the Green Deal were prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, together with most of the Finnish regions, the largest cities, the key business and sectoral organisations, the largest forest industry companies and a large number of operators from the construction sector. 

Scenario work led by research organisations (Finnish Environment Institute, Geological Survey of Finland, Natural Resources Institute Finland, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto University and Statistics Finland) created an understanding of the situation in terms of the consumption of natural resources and its impacts on the environment and economy. Besides this, scenarios based on science were drawn up on the opportunities of a circular economy to promote wellbeing and a sustainable economy. The results of the scenario work were published on 12 March 2024.