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Circular economy

Companies are on the verge of a resource crisis that threatens their core business.

Soon companies – and not just their procurement teams – will bear the consequences of the risks related to resources availability: geological and geopolitical availability of raw materials; competition between industrial sectors and countries; lack of substitution alternatives and recycling potential; and social and environmental impact.

These risks are starting to materialize through sky-rocketing commodity prices, severe supply chain disruptions and pressure from customers, analysts and NGOs, putting companies’ core business in jeopardy. The traditional linear model of “take-make-consume-waste” is looking increasingly untenable. The circular economy has become a business imperative.

 “Data from our CRI report, Circular economy for a sustainable future, indicates that 73% of executives polled agree that a contribution to the circular economy is necessary to achieve long-term financial and competitive goals; only 53% attest to having a circular-economy strategy and only 41% of organizations have integrated circularity metrics into decisions.”

Clément Chenut, Circular Economy Services Leader

How we can help

Our circular economy solution helps you move strategically and operationally from a linear economy that can destroy value, to a circular economy that preserves value. We use the principles of a circular economy to create business, consumer and environmental value, by maximizing the use of resources, components and ‘final’ products throughout the value chain and product lifecycle and ensuring the reduction of the production of waste.

Circular economy transition roadmap

Navigate and accelerate your circular economy projects from inception to fruition.

Lifecyle optimization for aerospace

Designed to accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices in the aviation industry.

We believe that you can build in circular value across five entry points across the business and product lifetime:

  • Define a sourcing model that is most appropriate
  • Design circular products that minimize their resource footprint and enable revalorization processes
  • Develop product-as-a-service innovative business model to maximize product utilization
  • Extend product life with reverse operations working with existing supply chains
  • Revalorize waste by developing and scaling capabilities and infrastructure to give waste a new life.

We’re already engaging with clients to help them develop their CE roadmap in sectors such as energy, aeronautics, and automotive, and are well-positioned to help companies secure the future of their business and develop a resource and circular economy strategy at scale. Our circular economy solution draws on skills from across the Group, from strategy, technical engineering and data, supported by bespoke tools, frameworks, and value-chain solutions, to make businesses more resilient, more sustainable, and more socially responsible.

Rethink materials, rethink production, rethink supply chains

Clément Chenut, Circular Economy Leader, and Kara Pecknold, VP Regenerative Design, frog, on planetary boundaries and a hero for the next economy.

“Over 70% of a product’s lifecycle impact (economic and environmental) is determined during its design phase.”

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation  

Client stories

Circular economy in action

Expert perspectives

Meet our experts

Clément Chenut

Circular Economy Services Leader
Part of Capgemini’s Sustainability Accelerator, set up to increase awareness of sustainability issues and develop practical solutions for clients, my focus is to promote and accelerate the adoption of circular economy business models. With Capgemini colleagues, we’ve developed a suite of CE services from strategy to digital/engineering solutions. These services guide clients from a linear economy that can destroy value, to a circular economy that preserves value – by minimizing the use of raw materials and resources, and reducing the production of waste. I’ve also led digital transformation programs, mainly in banking and transport, and was part of the Capgemini’s 5G Lab team, set up to help clients strategize, build and monetize the advantages of 5G.

Sol Salinas

Global Executive Vice President & North America Sustainability Lead, Capgemini
Sol is Americas and global Group accounts Sustainability Lead at Capgemini, where he oversees work across the Americas and globally on key sustainability priorities. He was the founder of ENERGY STAR and served as brand CZAR and Strategy lead from ’91 to ’05. He is a sustainability expert and digital transformation global thought leader with 25 years of experience in all aspects of sustainability and digital transformation.

Julia Müller

Head of Sustainability Unit (Germany)
Julia is a strategist with a passion for sustainability and purposeful business. As such, she believes that sustainable transformation, including implementing circular-economy principles, is a priority. As leader of the Sustainability unit in Germany, she uses her strategic and implementation experience to help clients achieve their sustainability and circularity objectives. Part of Julia’s role is to demonstrate to businesses the steps that will help them realize circularity in their enterprise, and highlight the specific innovations that can be leveraged, to achieve not only their sustainability goals but to also attain competitive advantage.

Dr. Dorothea Pohlmann

Senior Expert and Lead COE Sustainability, Capgemini Engineering
Dr. Dorothea Pohlmann, holds a doctorate in laser physics, started her career 15 years ago at Capgemini Engineering. Her path began in a subsidiary at the time in search of new challenges that combined her consultant expertise with her technical know-how. Today, she is a Senior Expert in the Technology & Innovation Office and Co-Lead of the “Center of Excellence Sustainability”.