Metabolic

A decade of impact with Circulair Friesland—see how we are helping the region go circular. 👇 Almost ten years ago, the Province of Friesland approached us for help in shaping the new circular economy. By mapping the regional context and conducting in-depth interviews with local entrepreneurs, we identified circular opportunities that evolved into landmark projects. Now, we are excited to announce the start of a new collaboration! Over the next two years, Metabolic will closely support the previously identified impact projects with specialized expertise to scale circular practices and strengthen collective impact. This collaboration is part of the Nationale Groeifondsprogramma Toekomstbestendige Leefomgeving, demonstrating that sustainable construction is not only necessary but feasible. Just last week, municipal project teams, guided by our experts Tenesha Caton, Merlijn Blok, and Reinout Haisma, gathered for an inspiring session to align their ambitions for the region and establish a baseline for creating concrete frameworks to make bio-based and circular buildings a reality. 🏡 This initiative will continue to grow until the end of 2026, creating a blueprint for what circular, resilient area developments can look like. Sounds interesting? Learn more about how our built environment  team drives the circular transition: https://lnkd.in/dTXmHVjb Liesbeth Sträter Gerard Roemers Ivan Thung #circulareconomy #sustainabledevelopment #circularconstruction

🏗️ Stuttgart Region: a large-scale laboratory for urban development! Through the Internationale Bauausstellung 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA’27), Stuttgart is on a mission to redefine itself as a sustainable city region with an urban lifestyle. IBA’27 sets bold ambitions to show how industrially shaped cities can transition toward a circular and resilient urban future. One of IBA’27’s key strategies is urban mining—recovering and reusing materials already embedded in the city. Together with IBA’27, we analyzed material flows through 10 projects across construction, renovation, and demolition. Our findings: ✅ We provided insights into the impact of construction, renovation, and demolition activities. ✅ Highlighted the potential impact reduction achievable through urban mining practices. ✅ Demonstrated the advantages of reusing materials for new construction projects, including: eliminating the need for lengthy supply chains, and enhancing the city’s resilience by utilizing existing resources. Our work helped IBA’27 to set realistic urban mining goals for ten flagship projects. These findings raised awareness of urban mining practices, engaged regional partners, and supported the development of circular construction infrastructure. We’re excited for their 2027 exhibition, when visitors will see the untapped potential of reusing materials to transform and renew the region, towards a more sustainable and circular future. 🔗 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://bit.ly/49DgBCl Job Papineau Salm Toni Kuhlmann Liesbeth Sträter Ivan Thung #circulareconomy #regionstuttgart #IBA27 #transformation #urbandevelopment

Did you know there are five living labs for rural regeneration across the Mediterranean? In this region, where 60–70% of soils are degraded, farmers face challenges in adopting regenerative practices that balance environmental needs with economic realities. To address this, GOV4ALL is establishing five regional living labs across France, Greece, and Spain. Bringing together farmers, scientists, NGOs, policymakers, and the public to collaborate on region-specific solutions, these rural hubs aim to create an agricultural system that protects natural resources by regenerating the soil. Earlier this month, our Ventures team met with the entire consortium in Spain to officially kick off our work. Using our expertise, we will help the living labs develop as “systemic ventures.” This includes supporting them in achieving sustainable financing models to ensure they survive and thrive after EU funding ends. 👉 Find out more about our Ventures work: https://lnkd.in/dYYRripM 👉 More about GOV4ALL: https://gov4all.eu/ #soils #regenerativesoils #EUsoilmission #HorizonEU Niranjana Balram Menon Eva Lalakova Chris Monaghan Roeland Koelman

Your city can lead the way to a circular innovation. Here’s how! 👇 At Metabolic, we see cities as the engines of the global economy and key to driving us towards a sustainable future. However, cities are often constrained by limited time and resources to thoroughly research and implement circular economy strategies. To bridge this gap, we are collaborating with Enjins to develop an advanced, AI-powered platform that helps cities assess their circular economy baseline and create a tailored transition roadmap for their unique context and priorities. We’re now looking to better understand the core needs of city officials, so we can ensure this tool addresses the real challenges faced in areas like procurement, waste management, and the built environment. 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫, 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 - 𝐛𝐮𝐭, 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞? 𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞. Join a short interview to discuss your city’s needs, and: ➡️ Get exclusive access to the tool during its development phase. The tool will give you access to the circular economy knowledge chat and the opportunity to create your own city specific circular economy mission. ➡️ Ensure the platform reflects the challenges faced by your municipality. 👉 Find out more and get involved: bit.ly/3OpUwNE CircularPSP project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement n° 101092208.  Liesbeth Sträter Jan van 't Hek Joris Olivier Bouwens #circularcities #sustainability #smartcities #AI #circulareconomy

𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝟭, 𝟮, 𝟯—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 Earlier this year, HEMA—an iconic Dutch retailer with nearly 750 stores—teamed up with us to accelerate its journey towards climate neutrality by 2050. We started with a carbon footprint. Following the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and CSRD requirements, we mapped scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. This provided a foundation for setting Science-Based Targets to reduce its CO2 footprint. But we didn’t stop there. We went beyond carbon to measure the impacts and risks linked to nature. (We used our software Link, see comments for details.) This holistic approach has provided the team at HEMA the insights to make informed decisions about product design and innovation, driving sustainability across their portfolio. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁? Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways we can help you: 💪 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀: With over a decade of experience, we help organizations turn compliance into a launchpad for their climate transition.  💡 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Discover our interactive suite of services and systemic solutions for a future-proof climate transition strategy.  👥 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀: Co-create an actionable plan to meet your net-zero goals.   Explore how we can help you and connect with us here: https://lnkd.in/d9dqwytT #sustainabilityreporting #CSRD #esgreporting #circulareconomy Daan Mes Irene Beers FARAI MOYO, MIFM Anne-Marleen Beets

Ever thought about what makes tequila possible? 🦇 Mexican long-nosed bats, weighing about as much as a light bulb, undertake an incredible 1,200km migration each year. Pregnant females sustain themselves along the way by feeding on the nectar of agave plants, which they pollinate in the process. Their role is vital in maintaining the health and genetic diversity of wild agave populations. Yet, the same demand for tequila is destroying the agave plants these bats rely on, threatening their survival. It’s a stark example of how our relationship with nature often stops at material dependency: What can nature do for us? 🌿 But what if we could move beyond this? At Metabolic, we believe the most powerful way to protect biodiversity is to transform how we connect with the natural world—from shallow, material reliance to deep, philosophical respect. 💡 Our latest article explores this journey: how restoring our respect for nature can lead to profound mindset shifts—shifts that hold the key to solving the biodiversity crisis. By recognizing nature’s intrinsic value and rethinking our role within it, we can inspire the changes needed to protect the intricate, interdependent bonds that sustain life on Earth. Read the full article and explore how we can rebuild our respect for nature and rethink our role in its future: https://bit.ly/49whEnC #Biodiversity #MindsetShift #Sustainability #natureculture

We are honored to be recognized among the top advisory companies on ESG in the Netherlands by Consultancy.nl. This acknowledgment inspires us to continue driving impactful solutions and collaborating with others to build a more sustainable and equitable future. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFjrsx8i #ESG #Sustainability #SystemsChange

𝗜𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹! 🌱 At Metabolic, we’re always looking for the points in a system where small actions can lead to big changes. When it comes to restoring the health of our planet, soil is one of the most powerful levers we have. Healthy soil is the foundation for agriculture, but it can do much more than that. It stores carbon, supports biodiversity, and protects water systems. It’s also essential for human health, providing the nutrients we need to thrive. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: our current extraction-based system is causing us to lose fertile soil at a catastrophic rate. Decades of intensive farming practices, deforestation, and climate change are depleting our soil faster than it can regenerate. We need to rethink how we treat soil—not as an endless resource, but as a vital system that supports life itself. At Metabolic, we collaborate with companies that recognize soil’s foundational role in our ecosystem. The goal? Shifting our systems toward becoming more regenerative. Discover how our Agrifood and Biodiversity team helps businesses, NGOs, and governments prioritize nature while protecting our soils: https://lnkd.in/d7Mk-kRY #WorldSoilDay #SystemsChange #RegenerativeAgriculture

COP29 is behind us, but the discussions around climate finance are far from over. 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. What are the outcomes, challenges, and opportunities from this year's conference of the parties in Baku? The conference in Baku raised the annual NCQG to $300 billion, with a longer-term goal of $1.3 trillion by 2035. It is an important step forward, but it also highlights how much more work needs to be done to close the gaps in climate finance. At Metabolic, we see this as a chance to rethink the whole system. Climate finance needs to do more than meet targets; it needs to drive long-lasting change. Here’s where we think the focus should be: 🌍 Supporting locally-led solutions: COP29 underscored the importance of funding that supports locally driven, context-specific projects. The real challenge is ensuring those funds reach the right communities and support resilience for the long term. 🔄 Scaling multi-year programmatic approaches: Short-term fixes are not enough. We need multi-year, scalable programs that address root problems and maximize impact—less stop-gap, more strategy. 💡 Streamlining access: Too often, funding is tied up in red tape. Streamlining the application process and simplifying reporting could make all the difference for communities and organizations trying to create change. 🚀 Driving innovation in financing mechanisms: Tools like blended finance models, levies on polluting industries, and place-based transition funds could unlock new resources and ensure the money is used strategically and fairly. With COP30 in Belém on the horizon, it is the perfect time to step back and ask: how can we redesign the system to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis? We are reflecting deeply on this and we’d love to hear your thoughts too. How do you think we can fix the gaps in climate finance? Check out our full take here: https://bit.ly/3CTJc9X #ClimateFinance #COP29 #Sustainability

Fresh out of the press: here are 5 recommendations for the incoming European Commission! As Ursula von der Leyen's II Commission takes office, together with the other members of the Systems Transformation Hub, Systemiq Ltd., World Resources Institute Europe, Climate-KIC, and The Club of Rome, our CEO Eva Gladek lays out a vision for Europe where people thrive in an economy that values innovation, health, education, and nature as much as GDP growth and that respects planetary boundaries. Check out the second of this policy brief series, ’Building a Secure and Thriving Europe: A Systems Approach to the 2024-2029 EU Strategic Agenda, and dive into our five key recommendations for European Commission to set the EU on a path towards transition, by taking a systems-based approach to policy-making. 1️⃣ Adopt a provisioning systems approach 2️⃣ Implement an integrated value-based industrial strategy 3️⃣ Develop an EU land-use strategy for resilience 4️⃣ Transform education and leadership to drive transformative change 5️⃣ Modernise EU governance to meet the challenges of the 21st Century Download the full copy of the policy brief and join the Systems Transformation Hub in making this vision a reality: https://lnkd.in/dBpfRWEA Joris Overmeer Kirsten Dunlop Sandrine Dixson-Declève Janez Potocnik Stientje van Veldhoven #systemsapproach #EUpolicy