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The 2025 Sustainable Agriculture Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape identifies investment opportunities in smart farming and undercover farming within the Western Cape, South Africa. It emphasizes the need for resource-efficient technologies to mitigate rising input costs, water scarcity, and new European Union sustainability regulations.

This report by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) provides guidance on the design and implementation of trade-related circular economy policies and measures (TrCEMs). It aims to help governments create frameworks that achieve environmental and public health goals while minimizing trade costs and supporting fair transitions, particularly for developing countries.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the work of the Transforming Foundation Industries Research and Innovation Hub (TransFIRe) in facilitating transformative change and resource optimization across six UK foundation industries and their supply chains. Based on interviews with 12 technical academic leads and seven trade organisation representatives, the report identifies shared barriers to innovation, such as infrastructure deficits, and potential enablers, including financial support and regulatory changes.

This report examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in facilitating the transition to a global circular economy to address the 'triple planetary crisis'. It analyzes current trade measures, identifies a disproportionate focus on end-of-life waste management over upstream resource reduction, and proposes a framework for regulatory alignment and mutual recognition of circular goods and services to prevent market fragmentation and 'circular resource nationalism'.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the governance of the circular economy (CE) in urban settings. It identifies key barriers to implementation—such as administrative silos and a lack of holistic data—and provides four strategic recommendations for urban policymakers to accelerate the transition toward resource-efficient and resilient urban systems.

This research paper explores the intersection of trade policy and the transition to a low-carbon circular economy, arguing that circular solutions are indispensable for achieving global decarbonization goals. The authors advocate for government incentives to prioritize secondary materials over primary resources, the scaling of business models focused on product longevity and reuse, and the use of bilateral and regional trade agreements to eliminate barriers to circular goods and services.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution and challenges of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), specifically focusing on UN Sustainable Development Goal 12. It argues that current efforts often prioritize business-friendly innovation over the necessary systemic shifts in economic priorities and social values required to operate within planetary boundaries.

This report analyzes the generation and causes of food waste and food loss across the entire Estonian food supply chain in 2020. It estimates that approximately 167,000 tons of food waste are generated annually in Estonia, with households being the largest contributors. The study provides a detailed breakdown of waste by sector—households, catering, trade, industry, and primary production—and offers strategic recommendations for reduction and better national accounting.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Sitra explores how Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) can be used to facilitate the global transition to a circular economy (CE). It identifies specific policy levers—including tariff liberalization, services market access, technical standards, investment protections, subsidy reforms, and public procurement—that can be integrated into trade agreements to promote resource efficiency and discourage linear 'take-make-waste' economic models.

This report summarizes the results of the UNLOCK project, which analyzed the role of Swedish municipalities in promoting sustainable consumption. It identifies barriers and opportunities for local governments to influence consumption patterns both through their own operations and by creating incentives for households and private businesses.

This case study by GreenCape examines The Clothing Bank, a non-profit intermediary in South Africa that diverts excess retail clothing from landfills to create entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed single mothers, demonstrating a circular economy model that addresses both waste and poverty.

This case study details how Excellent Meat, a wholesale meat supply and packaging company, reduced its water consumption by 30% between 2017 and 2020 through the implementation of smart water flow meters, a monitoring system, and internal awareness campaigns.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development explores the intersection of circular economy solutions and international trade policies to support global decarbonization. It argues that transitioning from primary to secondary materials and extending product lifespans are essential for meeting Paris Agreement goals, as resource extraction and processing account for half of global greenhouse gas emissions. The authors advocate for the removal of trade barriers to circular goods and services and the use of bilateral and regional trade agreements to establish standards for low-carbon circularity.

This report details the outcomes of the ENHANCE project (2017-2020), an Interreg Europe initiative designed to improve regional policy instruments that support the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) to increase resource efficiency and promote the circular economy. The project involved six partners across Europe who identified 24 good practices and implemented 31 actions, primarily focusing on regulatory reliefs and promotional incentives for EMAS-registered organizations.

This literature review by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Sitra examines the relationship between the transition to a circular economy and its impact on global and regional employment, emphasizing the need for 'decent work' and just transition policies.

This joint report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra examines the role of services and international services trade in supporting circular economy business models, identifying key service types, trade modes, and regulatory barriers.

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines the necessity of transitioning from a linear "take-make-waste" economic model to a circular economy to mitigate the climate crisis and resource depletion. It proposes three primary strategies for this transition: reducing overall consumption, improving the quality and nature of consumption, and implementing systemic changes through design and policy.

GreenCape issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on June 19, 2020, to appoint a Product Development Organisation (PDO) to support the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP). The project aims to develop viable products or value chains from unwanted manufacturing materials in the Atlantis Industrial Area to improve resource efficiency and reduce landfill waste.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines the role of green bonds and labelled loans in financing waste management and the circular economy. It highlights a significant investment gap, particularly in plastic waste management in Southeast Asia, and analyzes the market activity of corporate and municipal issuers globally, with a detailed focus on Japan's leadership in resource efficiency.

This 2020 investment prospectus by GreenCape identifies business opportunities to transform the Montague Gardens and Atlantis industrial areas in Cape Town into eco-industrial parks (EIPs). Using Material Flow Analysis (MFA), the report highlights under-utilised resource streams—such as boiler ash, treated wood, and foundry sand—and proposes infrastructure investments in waste-to-energy and water reuse to build business resilience and resource efficiency.