An absolute decoupling of material use from economic growth is of major importance to preserve safe operating boundaries. It is vital to understand how current policy efforts, including climate mitigation, could impact material use patterns and what complementary circular economy (CE) policies could be implemented to support dematerialization. At the same time, there is a lack of global datasets and related modeling tools that could support such an analysis.

In this seminar, Maksym Chepeliev will discuss the recently developed Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) Circular Economy Data Base (GTAP-CE) with a detailed representation of primary, secondary, and recycling activities for metals and plastics, split of fertilizers and cement activities. Several recent policy applications of the GTAP-CE Data Base, including the circular economy transition assessment for Europe and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism exposure index, will be discussed in the presentation. In addition, future extensions of the developed assessment framework, in particular, focusing on a more detailed representation of the critical minerals value chains will be introduced.