An outlook of worldwide circular economy targets: scope, metrics, and portfolio patterns

Governments use targets to operationalise the circular economy, yet little is known about their aim. This study provides the first global stock-take of these targets, analysing policy documents across 193 UN member states and identifying 433 targets across 47 countries. Adoption has accelerated since 2020, concentrated in Europe but sporadic elsewhere. Targets are dominated by waste, recycling and resource productivity, while strategies curbing absolute demand and slowing strategies (reuse, repair, longevity) remain marginal or absent. Reinforcing current practices will not deliver expected benefits, and current targets cannot realise the circular economy's transformative potential. Metric choices shape system boundaries, allocate accountability and determine which interventions become visible. Governments should adopt material demand targets, which connect to all other targets by raising resource productivity and circularity rates and reducing waste and emissions. Circular economy governance requires target portfolios combining narrowing, slowing and closing strategies, supported by consistent monitoring and science-based, country-specific benchmarks.