TREASoURce: Handbook on best practices for communicating with important stakeholders to support CE transition
Updated on 16.07.2025
This handbook emphasizes the critical role of communication in advancing a circular economy, which aims to use resources more efficiently, cut emissions, and support sustainable development.
The handbook provides ten practical tips for communicating circular principles, from creating a compelling vision to choosing relatable messengers and inspiring optimism through real-life examples. It highlights that collaboration among stakeholders is crucial for a successful transition, involving not only consumer engagement but also public and private sector partnerships.
Additionally, it addresses the challenges of entrenched habits and provides strategies for overcoming consumer scepticism, emphasizing that change requires persistence and community support.
Relevance for Circular Systemic Solutions
The handbook addresses circular economy applications in sectors including food waste (e.g., agricultural surplus), plastic and biobased waste streams, and the reuse of electric vehicle batteries.
This handbook provides practical guidance for effectively communicating the transition to a circular economy. As a communication tool, the handbook delivers tested strategies such as the “communication ladder,” audience-specific messaging, and real-life nudging examples to drive behavioural change.
This resource is most valuable in the "Map" and "Design" phases of Circular Systemic Solutions implementation. It helps identify communication gaps, stakeholder perceptions, and strategies for building consensus and behavioural alignment, thus laying the groundwork for effective and inclusive implementation.
How to use this tool or method
The handbook is available as a downloadable PDF that users can explore to access structured strategies for audience-targeted messaging, practical tools to support communication planning, and real-world case studies that illustrate effective circular economy communication.
These case examples, which demonstrate successful approaches in various sectors, are located at the end of the document.
More information
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CO2 neutrality/decarbonisation
<5 000
large 500 000-200 000, medium 200 000-50 000, and small cities 50 000-5 000
large metropolitan area >1.5 million, metropolitan area 1.5 million-500 000
predominantly urban regions, intermediate and predominantly rural regions, refer to TERCET typology NUTS 3 region
e.g. commercial, residential, service, industrial
