The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and One Planet Network, hosted by UNEP, announced the Global Circularity Protocol for business (GCP) at COP30 in Brazil.

The proposed voluntary framework provides standardised measures and methodologies for companies to quantify, manage and communicate their circular performance across value chains.

Developed with over 150 experts from more than 80 organisations, the protocol addresses what WBCSD and One Planet Network identify as a critical gap in circular economy measurement. It enables comparison across companies and sectors through consistent indicators aligned with existing sustainability reporting standards including GRI, ISO 59020, ESRS, and the GHG Protocol.

"The GCP delivers what the circular economy has long lacked: a globally harmonized framework to help companies measure, manage, and disclose circularity impacts," said Jorge Laguna-Celis, Head of One Planet Network, hosted by UNEP.

The protocol builds on WBCSD's Circular Transition Indicators, a framework launched in 2020 to help companies assess their circular performance.

Projected impacts

Impact analysis published by WBCSD and One Planet Network in 2024 projects that widespread adoption of the protocol could deliver 100 to 120 billion tonnes of cumulative material savings by 2050, equivalent to one year's current global material consumption.

The analysis projects avoided emissions of 67 to 76 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent by 2050, representing approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times current annual global emissions. Furthermore, the protocol aims to reduce global material consumption by four to five per cent between 2026 and 2050.

Peter Bakker, President and CEO of WBCSD, commented: "Our analysis has revealed that by 2050, widespread adoption of the GCP could save up to 120 billion tonnes of materials – equivalent to one year's current global consumption – and avoid up to 76 gigatons of CO₂ emissions – equivalent to one and a half times current global annual emissions."

Additional projected impacts include 11 to 12 per cent annual reductions in PM2.5 air pollution between 2026 and 2050, and reduction in arable land occupation by 0.7 to 1.1 million square kilometres by 2050, comparable to the size of Ethiopia.

The analysis projects that circular economy activities enabled by the protocol could generate £3.5 trillion in economic growth and create six million jobs through recycling, repair, rental and remanufacturing activities.

Corporate participation

Industry leaders including Philips, Tomra and Vale participated in piloting the protocol. Harald Tepper, Global Lead Circularity at Philips, stated: "GCP1.0 offers a clear and unified approach to set ambitious and adequate goals for circularity – a much-needed step towards a sustainable and healthy future."

Tove Andersen, President and CEO of Tomra, commented: "The GCP is important to TOMRA because it provides a common framework for businesses to measure progress on circularity initiatives. This is vital for ensuring that change can occur at scale, supporting circularity targets and policymaking going forward."

The protocol's governance structure includes three advisory committees covering business, policy and scientific perspectives, with representation from both Global North and South. The Independent Scientific Advisory Committee is co-chaired by Dr Janez Potočnik of the International Resource Panel and includes experts from UCL Circular Economy Lab, CSIR, and CSIRO's Circular Economy for Missions Initiative.

Policy Advisory Committee members include representatives from UNIDO, the African Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank Group, and ministries in the Netherlands, Japan, Ghana and Brazil.

The launch was co-hosted at the COP30 Japan Pavilion by Japan's Ministry of Environment, WBCSD and UNEP's One Planet Network.

Measurement framework

The protocol provides a step-by-step approach for organisations to frame, prepare, measure, manage and communicate circularity progress. It can be applied at material, product or business level, and is designed to accommodate organisations at different stages of circular transition through three progressive levels of performance assessment.

The framework tracks material flows and assesses impacts across climate, nature, equity and business performance dimensions. Version 1.0 represents the initial release, with developers indicating future iterations will expand scope and integration with financial and ESG reporting frameworks.

Analysis published in May 2025 found the global Circularity Metric stood at 6.9 per cent in 2021, down from 7.2 per cent in 2018, despite secondary material use increasing from 7.1 billion tonnes to 7.3 billion tonnes over the period. The report recommended businesses set measurable goals using frameworks such as the Global Circularity Protocol to address the widening circularity gap.

Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President at WBCSD, commented: "Launching the GCP at COP30 is no coincidence. We're here on the international stage because the GCP is a truly global solution – it responds to some of the most pressing global risks, including resource scarcity, supply chain volatility, and climate change."