#74 - The Global Circularity Protocol
Circular economy has been discussed for more than a decade, yet for most companies it remains fragmented, difficult to scale, and hard to explain to investors and decision-makers. While pilots and innovations abound, the lack of a shared framework has made it challenging to turn circular ambition into business strategy.
In this episode of Circular Coffee Break, host Michael Hanf sits down with Filipe Camaño Garcia, Lead, Global Circularity Protocol at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Filipe has spent more than a decade working across supply chains, humanitarian operations, policy, and sustainability transformations, and now leads one of the most ambitious global efforts to standardize how businesses approach circularity.
The conversation explores why circular economy urgently needs a common language and governance model, similar to what the Greenhouse Gas Protocol created for climate accounting. Filipe explains how the Global Circularity Protocol was developed through a two-year multistakeholder process involving more than 80 organizations, including global companies, governments, development banks, scientists, and civil society actors from both the Global North and the Global South.
Michael and Filipe discuss what the protocol actually does in practice. Rather than focusing on abstract principles, the Global Circularity Protocol provides a step-by-step framework to help companies measure, manage, and communicate their circular performance based on real material flows. The discussion highlights how circularity can be embedded into corporate strategy, risk management, and capital allocation, rather than remaining a sustainability side project.
A key theme of the episode is the reframing of circular economy as an economic and resilience agenda. Filipe shares insights on supply chain de-risking, resource volatility, and why circular strategies are becoming essential for long-term competitiveness. The conversation also reflects on the role of global policy moments such as COP, where circularity is beginning to gain recognition as a strategic lever for development, not just a waste or recycling issue.
The episode goes beyond frameworks and metrics, touching on leadership, systems thinking, and the importance of inclusivity. Filipe explains why the protocol was designed from the outset as a global tool, incorporating perspectives from emerging economies and regions where circular practices already exist but are often undervalued or informal.
This conversation is for sustainability leaders, strategy professionals, board members, and anyone working to translate circular economy from concept to action. It offers a grounded, pragmatic look at what it takes to scale circularity in real business environments, and why the next decade will be decisive for how companies value and manage resources.
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