MAY 2020
Impact Report
Metabolic is an ecosystem of organizations striving for systems change. Our mission is to build a sustainable economy – a broad and urgent goal that no entity can achieve alone. Together with a growing network of partners, we’re working to equip organizations all over the world with tools and insights to catalyze this change.
See how we did in 2019.
As we approach the midpoint of 2020, we can see that our organizational mission has never been more critical than it is today. People around the world have a more tangible understanding of the importance of resilience, and of the scale of challenges we need to be prepared to address as a civilization.
Eva Gladek, Founder and CEO, Metabolic
2019 at a glance
117
Projects
18
Countries
24,859
Publication views
30
Cities
26
Industry clients
- 117 Projects
- 18 Countries
- 24,859 Publication views
- 30 Cities
- 26 Industry clients
About Metabolic
Metabolic supports governments, businesses, academia, and NGOs in adapting to a fast-changing global context, while creating disruptive solutions that can dramatically shift how the economy functions. In all of our work – research, strategic advice, the development of tools, and the building of new ventures – we use systems thinking to understand how different sustainability challenges are interlinked, and to identify their true root causes. Working in this way helps us understand where it’s most effective to intervene, and where we can have the greatest impact.
Impact Strategy
Transition the CURRENT system
Attempt to transition the existing global system as rapidly as possible by working with influential decision-makers to drive sustainability stewardship and organizational change.
Build parallel systems
Build parallel systems based on principles that are fundamentally different to the current system, in the form of disruptive new ventures and pilots of new governance and finance models.
Six Transitions
To accelerate the global systems change we envision, we must collectively re-imagine and re-design our systems and institutions. Metabolic’s focus is on six key transitions, four of which are expanded upon in more detail in this report.
Cities and Regions
Finance
Food and land-use
Governance
Products and Services
Mindset
Products and Services
Mindset
We need to change the way we shape our habitat as a species. Cities need to reconnect to the natural systems upon which they rely, and become regenerative producers of materials, energy, and human prosperity.
Gerard Roemers, Cities Team Lead
We must accelerate the transition to sustainable communities by sharing methodologies, data, and creating open source tools – so that every city and its inhabitants can drive their own transition.
Tamara Streefland, Cities Program Lead
Our cities team focuses on four key outcomes:
Consumption and production systems
Sustainable urban consumption and production systems.
Circular urban development
New methodologies and guidelines for circular urban development.
Stewardship
Supporting city governments to become stewards of a circular economy.
Decision-support tools
Tools that provide insight into resource flows and facilitate circular decision-making.
In 2019, we worked with city governments, developers, architects, and other urban professionals on:
City and region-wide strategies
Area development
Policy support
Built environment design
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The City of Amsterdam is an internationally renowned hub for circular economy innovation. With Metabolic’s headquarters in Amsterdam, we have been fortunate to work with the City and its stakeholders on a trajectory of pioneering projects over the last six years.
De Ceuvel
A circular community hub
De Ceuvel is an award-winning circular economy innovation hub hosting a vibrant community and experimenting with technologies and processes to close urban resource cycles.
Buiksloterham
A circular neighborhood
For Buiksloterham, a 100 ha post-industrial site in Amsterdam North, we co-developed a vision, roadmap and action plan for the area to transition to a fully circular neighborhood.
Urban Mining
Mining the city?
Together with AMS Institute, we developed a method to assess the metal contents of buildings in Amsterdam, matching demolition to construction and promoting the circular use of materials.
Circular Tendering
Changing the rules of the game
With partners SGS Search, we developed circular tendering procedures to help municipalities, developers, and construction companies embed sustainable innovation in the city.
Monitoring Circularity
Measuring circular progress
Amsterdam has been engaged in the circular economy for several years and wanted to be able to systematically monitor its progress. We helped the Metropolitan Region create the right framework to do so.
REPAiR Tool
Geo-design tool turns waste into value
REPAiR is an interactive online application that maps resource flows in peri-urban Amsterdam, creating opportunities for circularity.
H-Buurt
Circular and socially inclusive area development
A circular and inclusive area development plan for Amsterdam’s H-neighborhood, demonstrating how sustainability and social development goals can strengthen one another.
Schoonschip
Sustainable homes on Amsterdam’s canals
With partners, Metabolic developed the sustainability masterplan for a cutting-edge community of floating homes in Amsterdam North. The project was unveiled in 2019.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rotterdam has bold ambitions to become a waste-free city by 2030.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rotterdam has bold ambitions to become a waste-free city by 2030.
Opportunities
Proposed interventions can help Rotterdam achieve:
reduction in food waste
reduction in packaging waste
of construction emissions prevented
tonnes
of construction waste prevented
Outcomes
The City's food department is using an integrated sustainable food vision to inform future policy decisions.
The City's urban development team is considering a strong urban mining business case that promises reallocation of 11,000 tons of materials and savings of up to €25,000,000 in material value.
Charlotte, USA
Charlotte is committed to becoming the first circular city in the United States.
Charlotte, USA
Charlotte is committed to becoming the first circular city in the United States.
Opportunities
Proposed interventions can help Charlotte achieve:
103,000 – 145,000
tons of waste diverted from landfill
jobs created
tons CO₂-eq emissions a year avoided
Outcomes
Charlotte is exploring business case viability and partnerships for the other business cases outlined in the report.
“We are thrilled to implement the circular economy strategy in Charlotte. The strategies outlined in the report will help Charlotte address key issues impacting the entire city – economic and social mobility.”
Marcus D Jones, Charlotte City Manager
Brainport, Netherlands
Brainport Smart District (BSD) in Helmond, the Netherlands, strives to be the smartest neighborhood in the world.
In 2018, Metabolic worked with leading architects UN Studio and partners to develop an urban vision for Brainport Smart District. Over the next ten years the BSD will develop 1,500 new homes and 12 hectares of business premises, characterized by the application of the latest technologies and knowledge in order to achieve the goal of a sustainable, circular, and socially cohesive neighborhood.
Brainport, Netherlands
Brainport Smart District (BSD) in Helmond, the Netherlands, strives to be the smartest neighbourhood in the world.
In 2018, Metabolic worked with leading architects UN Studio and partners to develop an urban vision for Brainport Smart District. Over the next ten years the BSD will develop 1,500 new homes and 12 hectares of business premises, characterized by the application of the latest technologies and knowledge in order to achieve the goal of a sustainable, circular and socially cohesive neighborhood.
Opportunities
155 hectares of new, circular, and sustainable urban development.
A new standard for area development, integrating circularity not only for materials, energy, and climate adaptation, but also for biodiversity, human health, and new economic opportunities.
Outcomes
BSD is working with Metabolic and partners to operationalize the BSD vision, starting with a plan for circular water practices within the neighbourhood.
The BSD urban design concept has won a 2020 Rethinking The Future Award.
Boulder, USA
The US city of Boulder is a community deeply rooted in its surrounding environment and committed to sustainability.
In line with Boulder’s zero-waste and climate-focused goals, we worked with the city to map local material consumption, waste, and emissions and develop a vision and roadmap for Boulder to transition towards a circular economy.
Boulder, USA
The US city of Boulder is a community deeply rooted in its surrounding environment and committed to sustainability.
In line with Boulder’s zero-waste and climate-focused goals, we worked with the city to map local material consumption, waste, and emissions and develop a vision and roadmap for Boulder to transition towards a circular economy.
Opportunities
Even a small change in circularity can have an enormous effect on Boulder’s overall impact.
$2.3 million worth of valuable materials are currently being sent to landfill.
Food waste is enough to feed close to 20,000 people.
Embodied emissions (nearly 1.8 million metric tons) are larger than all local sources of emissions put together (around 1.7 million metric tons).
Outcomes
A vision and actionable roadmap for Circular Boulder, co-created with the local community and City stakeholders.
The city will continue to engage the community throughout 2020 to prioritize actions and mobilize climate action, with a broader focus not only on managing waste, but also on managing materials.
“This report is one of the first steps in broadening the city’s focus from how we manage waste to how we manage materials. Boulder is a leader in waste reduction, however, in order to really address the climate crisis, the city needs to lead the way in implementing deep, systemic change through coordinated action to foster a circular economy.”
Kara Mertz, City of Boulder Sustainability Manager
Friesland, Netherlands
Friesland aims to be the most circular region in the Netherlands by 2025.
Metabolic has a long-running strategic partnership with the Dutch Province of Friesland, where we work together to inspire entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, (social) organizations and governments to take action on circular opportunities.
Friesland, Netherlands
Friesland aims to be the most circular region in the Netherlands by 2025.
Metabolic has a long-running strategic partnership with the Dutch Province of Friesland, where we work together to inspire entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, (social) organizations and governments to take action on circular opportunities.
Opportunities
100% circular Friesland, with plenty of employment and thriving, future-proof companies and organizations.
3 key focus areas: circular building, symbiotic agriculture, and green chemistry.
Outcomes
The birth of the Circular Friesland Association, founded by 25 different organizations: a major step forward towards a circular Friesland province.
40 frontrunners in circular business advised on how to innovate and scale up circular business.
Strong collaborations forged between the Northern provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, and Friesland, as well as the Municipality of Leeuwaarden.
Capital Region of Denmark
The Capital Region of Denmark is committed to becoming a fossil-free and circular region by 2050.
In 2019, the Region tasked Metabolic’s Copenhagen office with undertaking a material flow and environmental analysis of the region’s waste system to identify impact hotspots and circular opportunities.
Capital Region of Denmark
The Capital Region of Denmark is committed to becoming a fossil-free and circular region by 2050.
In 2019, the Region tasked Metabolic’s Copenhagen office with undertaking a material flow and environmental analysis of the region’s waste system to identify impact hotspots and circular opportunities.
Opportunities
By reusing avoidable food waste, and recycling plastics and unavoidable food waste, the Capital Region could achieve:
reduction in mixed residual waste
tonnes
of CO₂-eq. emissions avoided
Outcomes
Metabolic’s analysis underpins the remaining two years of the project Across Waste Resources, set up to explore the current waste system of the Capital Region and identify new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and stakeholder networking.
The initiatives within this project will be translated into a roadmap for systemically transitioning the Region’s waste system to a circular economy.
“We need to fundamentally change how the world feeds itself. By providing food companies with insights from data science and systems thinking, we can help them be a part of that transformation.”
Brian Shaw, Agrifood Lead, Metabolic
Our food team focuses on four key outcomes:
Adaptive and resilient
An adaptive and resilient food system.
Nutrition
Nutritious food for all.
Planetary boundaries
Food systems within planetary boundaries.
Livelihoods and wellbeing
Supporting livelihoods and wellbeing.
In 2019, we worked with private and public sector food professionals on:
Sustainability strategies
Science-based target setting
Packaging analysis and design
Sector-wide impact assessment
WWF
Metabolic’s longstanding partnership with WWF has led to a number of exciting project collaborations over the years. Below are some of our key joint projects on food systems.
Global Food System Analysis
Vision and roadmap for a sustainable food future
Published with WWF in 2016, this global analysis identified key behavioral patterns and structural causes that result in the negative impacts of the global food system. It also identified intervention points to trigger structural change and bring the system to a healthy and sustainable state.
Consumer Behaviour and the Food System
Shifting to sustainable diets
Following on from the Global Food System Analysis, this report on consumer behavior is an in-depth look at one of the key intervention points outlined for a sustainable food system: changing the everyday food-related decisions consumers make on a daily basis.
A Systems Thinking Guidebook
A European food system case study
In this project for WWF, Metabolic applied systems thinking to identify leverage points for addressing challenges facing the European food system. The result is a guidebook highlighting how to apply systems thinking principles to complex sustainability challenges.