Developing circular pathways for a EU low-carbon transition

Wiedenhofer Dominik

Institute of Social Ecology

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Research project (§ 26 & § 27)

Program Horizon Europe - Global Challenges - Research & Innovation Action (RIA)

Funder European Commission (EC)

Competencies

Nachwachsende Rohstoffe und neue Technologien
Ressourcen und gesellschaftliche Dynamik
Landschaft, Wasser, Lebensraum und Infrastrukturen

Abstract

CircEUlar will assess potentials of the circular economy (CE) to contribute to GHG reductions, and in particular to a low-carbon transition of the EU. The project will equally address supply-side and demand-side options to move towards circularity. One main thrust of the project will be to improve existing modelling tools in order to evaluate future scenarios of moving towards circularity in the EU, thereby also assessing the embeddedness of the EU within the global economy. The project will address three Focus Areas (FAs), mobility, buildings, and digitalization. A transdisciplinary stakeholder process and dissemination activities are other prominent elements of the project. The project is led by IIASA, other prominent partners include the University of East Anglia, the Technical University of Berlin and the Ludwigs-Maxmilian University Munich. The Institute of Social Ecology (BOKU) will mainly contribute dynamic modelling of material stocks and flows to provide innovative measures of system-wide circularity.

Publications

Lessons, narratives, and research directions for a sustainable circular economy

Autoren: Sina Leipold; Anna Petit-Boix; Anran Luo; Hanna Helander; Machteld Simoens; Weslynne S. Ashton; Callie W. Babbitt; Alba Bala; Catharina R. Bening; Morten Birkved; Fenna Blomsma; Casper Boks; Alessio Boldrin; Pauline Deutz; Teresa Domenech; Navarro Ferronato; Alejandro Gallego-Schmid; Damien Giurco; Kersty Hobson; Roope Husgafvel; Cynthia Isenhour; Mait Kriipsalu; Donato Masi; Joan Manuel F. Mendoza; Leonidas Milios; Monia Niero; Deepak Pant; Keshav Parajuly; Stefan Pauliuk; Marina P. P. Pieroni; Jessika Luth Richter; Michael Saidani; Marzena Smol; Laura Talens Peiró; Stijn van Ewijk; Walter J. V. Vermeulen; Dominik Wiedenhofer; Bing Xue Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Modeling Low Energy Demand Futures for Buildings: Current State and Research Needs

Autoren: Mastrucci, A; Niamir, L; Boza-Kiss, B; Bento, N; Wiedenhofer, D; Streeck, J; Pachauri, S; Wilson, C; Chatterjee, S; Creutzig, F; Dukkipati, S; Feng, W; Grubler, A; Jupesta, J; Kumar, P; Marangoni, G; Saheb, Y; Shimoda, Y; Shoai-Tehrani, B; Yamaguchi, Y; van Ruijven, B Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
A call for high-quality data to foster a decisive transformation towards a circular economy

Autoren: Piero Morseletto; Willi Haas Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
How circular is an extractive economy? South Africa's export orientation results in low circularity and insufficient societal stocks for service-provisioning

Autoren: Willi Haas; Doris Virág; Dominik Wiedenhofer; Harro von Blottnitz Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
How decarbonization and the circular economy interact: Benefits and trade-offs in the case of the buildings, transport, and electricity sectors in Austria

Autoren: W. Haas; A. Baumgart; N. Eisenmenger; D. Virág; G. Kalt; M. Sommer; K. Kratena; I. Meyer Jahr: 2025

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Demand-side strategies key for mitigating material impacts of energy transitions

Autoren: Creutzig, F; Simoes, SG; Leipold, S; Berrill, P; Azevedo, I; Edelenbosch, O; Fishman, T; Haberl, H; Hertwich, E; Krey, V; Lima, AT; Makov, T; Mastrucci, A; Milojevic-Dupont, N; Nachtigall, F; Pauliuk, S; Silva, M; Verdolini, E; van Vuuren, D; Wagner, F; Wiedenhofer, D; Wilson, C Jahr: 2024

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
MESSAGEix-Materials v1.1.0: representation of material flows and stocks in an integrated assessment model

Autoren: Ünlü, G; Maczek, F; Min, JH; Frank, S; Glatter, F; Kishimoto, PN; Streeck, J; Eisenmenger, N; Wiedenhofer, D; Krey, V Jahr: 2024

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Global stagnation and regional variations in steel recycling

Autoren: Takuma Watari; Tomer Fishman; Hanspeter Wieland; Dominik Wiedenhofer Jahr: 2025

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
From extraction to end-uses and waste management: Modeling economy-wide material cycles and stock dynamics around the world.

Autoren: Dominik Wiedenhofer, Jan Streeck, Hanspeter Wieland, Benedikt Grammer, André Baumgart, Barbara Plank, Christoph Helbig, Stefan Pauliuk, Helmut Haberl, Fridolin Krausmann Jahr: 2024

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Industry Transformations for High Service Provisioning with Lower Energy and Material Demand: A Review of Models and Scenarios

Autoren: Wiedenhofer, D; Streeck, J; Wiese, F; Verdolini, E; Mastrucci, A; Ju, YY; Boza-Kiss, B; Min, JH; Norman, J; Wieland, H; Bento, N; León, MFG; Magalar, L; Mayer, A; Gingrich, S; Hayashi, A; Jupesta, J; Ünlü, G; Niamir, L; Cao, T; Zanon-Zotin, M; Plank, B; Velez-Henao, J; Masanet, E; Krey, V; Akimoto, K; Grubler, A; van Ruijven, B; Pauliuk, S Jahr: 2024

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Conceptualizing supply- and demand-side climate change mitigation: A typology and new research directions

Autoren: Pichler, M; Bärnthaler, R; Wiedenhofer, D; Roux, N; Gingrich, S Jahr: 2025

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Assessing mining-related land footprints of global steel use with a global physical input-output model

Autoren: Wieland, H; Wiedenhofer, D; Eisenmenger, N; Watari, T; Giljum, S Jahr: 2025

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
From extraction to end-uses and waste management: Modeling economy-wide material cycles and stock dynamics around the world.

Autoren: Dominik Wiedenhofer, Jan Streeck, Hanspeter Wieland, Benedikt Grammer, André Baumgart, Barbara Plank, Christoph Helbig, Stefan Pauliuk, Helmut Haberl, Fridolin Krausmann Jahr: 2024

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Quantifying material stocks in long-lived products: Challenges and improvements for informing sustainable resource use strategies

Autoren: Streeck, J; Baumgart, A; Haberl, H; Krausmann, F; Cai, BW; Fishman, T; Lanau, M; Berrill, P; Cao, Z; Deetman, S; Frantz, D; Krey, V; Mastrucci, A; Miatto, A; Pauliuk, S; Rousseau, LSA; Saxe, S; Tingley, DD; Ünlü, G; Wiedenhofer, D Jahr: 2025

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
A review of methods to trace material flows into final products in dynamic material flow analysis: From industry shipments in physical units to monetary input–output tables, Part 1

Autoren: Jan Streeck; Stefan Pauliuk; Hanspeter Wieland; Dominik Wiedenhofer Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
A review of methods to trace material flows into final products in dynamic material flow analysis: Comparative application of six methods to the United States and EXIOBASE3 regions, Part 2

Autoren: Streeck, J; Wieland, H; Pauliuk, S; Plank, B; Nakajima, K; Wiedenhofer, D Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
High-Resolution Mapping of Material Stocks in Belgian Road Infrastructure: Material Efficiency Patterns, Material Recycling Potentials, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Opportunities

Autoren: Wang, ZX; Wiedenhofer, D; Stephan, A; Perrotti, D; van den Bergh, W; Cao, Z Jahr: 2023

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:
Mapping sand flows and stocks

Autoren: Takuma Watari; Catrin Böcher; André Baumgart; Jonna Ljunge; Dominik Wiedenhofer Jahr: 2025

Journal articles

external links and characteristics of the publication:

Project staff

Dominik Wiedenhofer

Mag.Dr. Dominik Wiedenhofer Bakk.techn.
dominik.wiedenhofer@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73729

BOKU Project Leader

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Andre Sebastian Baumgart

Andre Sebastian Baumgart M.Sc.
andre.baumgart@boku.ac.at

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Nina Eisenmenger

Assoc. Prof. Mag.Dr. Nina Eisenmenger
nina.eisenmenger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73717

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Benedikt Grammer

Mag. Benedikt Grammer B.Sc.
benedikt.grammer@boku.ac.at

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Willi Haas

Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing.Dr. Willi Haas
willi.haas@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73720

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Helmut Haberl

Univ.Prof. Mag.Dr. Helmut Haberl
helmut.haberl@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73714

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Lisa Kaufmann

Mag.Dr. Lisa Kaufmann
lisa.kaufmann@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73752

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Fridolin Krausmann

Univ.Prof. Dr. Fridolin Krausmann
fridolin.krausmann@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73713

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Jan Streeck

Dr. Jan Streeck MSc.
jan.streeck@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73742

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Doris Virág

Dr. Doris Virág M.Sc.M.A.
doris.virag@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73751

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Hanspeter Wieland

Mag.Dr. Hanspeter Wieland
hanspeter.wieland@boku.ac.at

Project Staff

01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

BOKU partners

Institute of Social Ecology

role partner

Developing circular pathways for a EU low-carbon transition

Abstract

Publications

Lessons, narratives, and research directions for a sustainable circular economy

Modeling Low Energy Demand Futures for Buildings: Current State and Research Needs

A call for high-quality data to foster a decisive transformation towards a circular economy

How circular is an extractive economy? South Africa's export orientation results in low circularity and insufficient societal stocks for service-provisioning

How decarbonization and the circular economy interact: Benefits and trade-offs in the case of the buildings, transport, and electricity sectors in Austria

Demand-side strategies key for mitigating material impacts of energy transitions

MESSAGEix-Materials v1.1.0: representation of material flows and stocks in an integrated assessment model

Global stagnation and regional variations in steel recycling

From extraction to end-uses and waste management: Modeling economy-wide material cycles and stock dynamics around the world.

Industry Transformations for High Service Provisioning with Lower Energy and Material Demand: A Review of Models and Scenarios

Conceptualizing supply- and demand-side climate change mitigation: A typology and new research directions

Assessing mining-related land footprints of global steel use with a global physical input-output model

From extraction to end-uses and waste management: Modeling economy-wide material cycles and stock dynamics around the world.

Quantifying material stocks in long-lived products: Challenges and improvements for informing sustainable resource use strategies

A review of methods to trace material flows into final products in dynamic material flow analysis: From industry shipments in physical units to monetary input–output tables, Part 1

A review of methods to trace material flows into final products in dynamic material flow analysis: Comparative application of six methods to the United States and EXIOBASE3 regions, Part 2

High-Resolution Mapping of Material Stocks in Belgian Road Infrastructure: Material Efficiency Patterns, Material Recycling Potentials, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Opportunities

Mapping sand flows and stocks

Project staff

BOKU partners

Funder

Commission of the European Communities