EU Policy & Regulatory Framework

European Union nations are committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement. The European Green Deal serves as the EU’s roadmap for reaching this ambitious target, fostering innovation, sustainability, and long-term prosperity. Cradle to Cradle Certified® supports this vision by providing a globally recognized standard for products that contribute to a circular economy.

What is the Green Deal?

The European Green Deal is a comprehensive package of policy initiatives designed to set the European Union on the path to a green transition, with the ultimate goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. Among these initiatives, the Circular Economy Action Plan aims to decouple economic growth from resource use and shift to circular systems in production and consumption. This plan outlines over 30 action points, focusing on the design of sustainable products, circularity in production processes, and empowering consumers and public buyers. It targets sectors such as electronics and ICT, batteries, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and buildings, and food.

How can Cradle to Cradle Certified® support companies in meeting the EU’s objectives?

Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C Certified®) has long been at the forefront of setting rigorous standards for products and materials to enable the transition towards a circular economy. In collaboration with 2B Policy, we initiated a mapping of key pieces of legislation to align with the C2C Certified standard. Our holistic product certification framework covers numerous sectors, making many legislative texts relevant for comparison. After conducting thorough research and a gap analysis, we prioritized the following legislative texts:

Who is 2B Policy?

2B Policy specializes in helping organizations understand, navigate and integrate policy into their strategies and operations. Its extensive work comparing the C2C Certified® standard with key European legislation has helped turn EU policy knowledge into concrete action. After a year of dedicated effort, 2B Policy and the Institute are pleased to present their findings.