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