Development of Indicators to Measure Progress
How far has the circular economy come in a country, region, or city? To answer that, a well-structured set of indicators is essential. These indicators help us assess whether we’re on the right track and provide a more nuanced understanding of material flows, socio-economic and ecological impacts, and the role of circular goods and services in overall consumption.
Therefore, it is important to identify and integrate indicators that offer the most comprehensive picture possible, by drawing on both existing and innovative data sources. Since it is not feasible to measure every aspect of the circular economy, these indicators must be carefully selected to reflect key dimensions of progress and thus provide a reliable indication of the broader picture.
For public institutions, monitoring the circular economy can help identify areas in need of support – whether through improved policies or other forms of public intervention – and reveal blind spots. This process can therefore contribute to overcoming existing barriers and enable targeted action where it is most needed, thereby accelerating the transition to a circular economy.
Contact our Consultant
Lea Kress
Phone: +45 31 33 53 42
Mail: lk@norion.dk
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Our services within indicators
Development
Development of tailored indicators aligned with specific goals and action plans, providing meaningful insights into progress.
Evaluation and exploration
Evaluation of data availability and quality, along with exploration of innovative data collection methods to strengthen monitoring.
Identification and concrete actions
Identification of monitoring gaps and recommendations for concrete actions to improve and strengthen monitoring frameworks.
What do we offer?
We develop indicators for the circular economy using a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches. A good indicator reflects the goal it is meant to track and is sensitive to progress over time. To identify such indicators, we carry out in-depth research to map the relevant domains and components. Based on this, we select the most critical aspects and develop complementary indicators that together provide a coherent picture.
For example: When developing indicators for clothing repair at city level, it is impractical to directly measure all repair activities, as these occur in many different settings – at home, within families or communities, or through professional services. Research shows that most repairs are carried out privately, but a shift in willingness to pay for repair services serves as a strong indicator of changing repair behaviour. Therefore, we prioritise measurements of professional repair activity, supported by surveys on private repairs, to provide a more comprehensive understanding.
To ensure reliability and practical applicability, we use evaluation criteria such as RACER (Relevance, Acceptability, Credibility, Ease, and Robustness). This framework helps us assess whether an indicator can be effectively integrated into a transparent monitoring system, including the feasibility and cost of ongoing data collection.