Transforming to a circular and sharing economy decouples manufacturing, production and consumption systems from natural resource constraints whilst optimizing the utilization of assets and democratizing wealth creation opportunities. In a low growth, low employment world, this offers a model for sustainable growth especially when harnessed to the potential of the 4IR.

Accelerating this transformation requires a simultaneously “glocal” approach - global multi-stakeholder collaboration for large scale systems change (in finance, technology, supply chains), combined with specific localised systems change (in cities, provinces, countries).

By engaging international organisations and multinational businesses at the global level with a group of champion governments, businesses and civil society at the regional/national/subnational level, the project is building a community of purpose to identify and initiate public-private actions that will accelerate this change. The work will manifest in at least 4 regions/countries/provinces around the world, including China (Guangzhou), East Africa (Rwanda), Europe (the Netherlands) Latin America, Japan and the United States.