UNravelling the socioeconomic and environmental Impacts of Circularity in Latin America

Project Information

UNICA

Grant agreement ID: 101103532

DOI

10.3030/101103532

EC signature date 11 May 2023

Start date 4 March 2024

End date 3 September 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 317 048,16

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - UNICA (UNravelling the socioeconomic and environmental Impacts of Circularity in Latin America)

Reporting period: 2024-03-04 to 2026-03-03

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The UNICA project is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Global Fellowship that explores the socioeconomic and environmental implications of the transition to a circular economy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This topic is highly relevant for the European Union (EU), as the LAC region is a key supplier of critical materials needed for the global energy transition, such as lithium for electric vehicle batteries, as well as an important producer of agricultural commodities. Understanding the impacts of a circular transition in this region can therefore contribute to strengthening global supply chains and enhancing resilience in the EU through deeper collaboration between the two regions.

The UNICA project examines this transition by analysing current narratives and policy discussions around circular economy in the LAC region, identifying key sectors and actors involved in the transition, and applying modelling approaches to assess potential impacts. In particular, the project uses Industrial Ecology tools to evaluate the possible socioeconomic and environmental implications of circular economy strategies at the regional scale. The results aim to support policymakers and industry stakeholders in designing more sustainable and inclusive circular economy pathways.

In line with the spirit of the MSCA programme, the project also contributes to strengthening research collaboration between the Global South and the Global North, while helping to advance a research agenda on circular economy in the LAC region. The project is supported by collaborations with key European partners, including the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). It also engages with several partners in Latin America, including Academia de Centroamérica (Costa Rica), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru). These collaborations foster knowledge exchange and contribute to building a stronger international network for circular economy research between the EU and the LAC region.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Between March 2024 and February 2026, the UNICA project carried out research activities in four countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, and Chile. These activities included fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, and academic collaboration with regional institutions. The work aimed to collect empirical insights on circular economy developments in the region, identify key sectors and actors involved in the transition, and support the development of analytical approaches to assess the socioeconomic and environmental implications of circularity at the regional scale.

Fieldwork activities focused on engaging with relevant stakeholders from academia, government, and industry to better understand current narratives, policy developments, and practical initiatives related to the circular economy. These interactions also supported the identification of priority sectors and emerging strategies that could influence future circular economy pathways in the region.

The project also involved academic collaboration and research exchange with several higher education institutions in the region, including INCAE Business School (Costa Rica), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru), and Universidad Diego Portales (Chile). These collaborations contributed to the development of the project’s analytical framework and supported knowledge generation on circular economy transitions in the LAC region.

As a result of these activities, the UNICA project has produced four scientific publications and one conference proceeding. These outputs contribute to advancing knowledge on the socioeconomic and environmental implications of circular economy transitions and provide insights that can support future research and policy discussions on circularity in Latin America and the Caribbean, and lessons for the EU implementation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results of the UNICA project contribute to advancing knowledge on circular economy transitions in Latin America and the Caribbean and provide new insights relevant to the broader Global South–Global North nexus. By analysing narratives, policy developments, and sectoral dynamics in the region, the project helps expand the understanding of how circular economy approaches can evolve in emerging and resource-based economies, where institutional, economic, and social conditions differ from those typically studied in the Global North.

One of the key contributions of the project is the identification of emerging research priorities for circular economy studies in the Global South. The findings highlight the importance of developing transdisciplinary approaches that integrate perspectives from environmental sciences, economics, policy studies, and social sciences to circular economy research in the region. The project also demonstrates the importance of stakeholder engagement as a central element for understanding how circular economy strategies are shaped and implemented across different sectors and governance levels.

The research further identifies several important data and knowledge gaps that require future attention. In particular, the contribution of informal economic systems to material circulation and resource efficiency remains insufficiently captured in existing datasets and analytical frameworks. Addressing these data blind spots is essential for developing more accurate assessments of circular economy dynamics in many countries of the Global South.

Another emerging research direction concerns the concept of policy resilience - as the capacity of circular economy policies to adapt and evolve across changing political cycles. Strengthening policy resilience can help ensure that circular economy strategies remain effective and continue to deliver environmental and socioeconomic benefits over time.

Looking ahead, further research and collaboration will be important to expand the analytical tools, datasets, and policy frameworks needed to support circular economy transitions in the LAC region and other parts of the Global South. The insights generated by the UNICA project provide a foundation for future research initiatives and can support policymakers, researchers, and international partners working to advance circular economy strategies at regional and global scales.

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