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Ellen MacArthur Foundation

EMF

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charity focused on accelerating the global transition to a circular economy.

Lobbying Activity

Ellen MacArthur Foundation urges stricter circularity criteria for EU taxonomy

5 Dec 2025
Topic — The European Commission initiative reviews technical screening criteria for the EU environmental taxonomy acts.
Message — The Foundation calls for higher recycled content thresholds for plastic packaging to prevent greenwashing. They also advocate for including food, textiles, and furniture sectors in the regulation's scope.12
Why — Stricter standards ensure investment flows toward genuine circular economy leaders instead of polluters.3
Impact — Manufacturers of single-use virgin plastic would lose eligibility for sustainable finance labeling.4
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Meeting with Rasmus Nordqvist (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2025 · Textile circularity

Meeting with Stéphane Séjourné (Executive Vice-President) and

2 Jul 2025 · EU Clean Industrial Dialogue on Circularity

Meeting with Jessika Roswall (Commissioner) and

24 Apr 2025 · International Plastics Agreement

Meeting with Daniel Mes (Cabinet of Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra)

9 Jan 2024 · Circular economy and climate action

Response to Postponement of deadlines within the Accounting Directive for the adoption of certain ESRS

19 Dec 2023

The EU Commission has proposed a two-year postponement in the adoption of the sector-specific European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This proposal aims to reduce the reporting burdens on companies and minimise costs, without undermining policy objectives. However, delaying the implementation of sector-specific standards will not alleviate the reporting burden, and will increase uncertainty in disclosure for companies and investors. Why is the timely adoption of sector-specific standards significant for issuers and investors? 1. Companies need sector-specific standards to meet the sector-agnostic ESRS Set 1 requirements. ESRS Set 1 includes requirements that were to be clarified through the adoption of sector-specific standards. For example, information on what should be disclosed and the level of detail for topics such as biodiversity, decarbonisation, and human rights in the value chain. Companies are already experiencing difficulties in engaging their suppliers on nature-related disclosures (CDP, 2023). Delaying sector-specific standards will create further uncertainty for organisations on how to address and disclose on these topics within their sectors. Sector-specific standards also point to topics that organisations should prioritise, based on their industry, which is essential for reducing reporting burdens on companies. 2. Companies in the same industry may have different views on what is material. As nearly all of the ESRS Set 1 disclosure metrics are subject to a materiality assessment, companies in the same industry may have different views on what is classified as material to their business. This compromises the comparability of disclosed information, and increases the burden on organisations that have not yet conducted a materiality assessment. Sector guidance would address this and make the reporting process easier for companies. 3. Stakeholders depend on comparable and meaningful reported information in their decisions. The adoption of sector-specific standards will help create reliable and comparable data between companies, which other stakeholders rely on in their decision-making process. Delaying sector-specific standards will make reported information more difficult to compare for users. In addition, it creates unrealistic expectations for auditors to ensure a process and outcome without clear guidance from standards for typical sectoral issues. The timely adoption of sector-specific standards will also improve the competitiveness of EU companies, increasing capital flows to sustainable activities, by providing reliable sustainability performance data against baselines, and help track sectoral progress towards the EUs environmental objectives. Recommendations 1. Adopt sector standards already developed by EFRAG. By the end of 2024 or early 2025, the EU Commission should guarantee the adoption of the high-impact sector standards that EFRAG has already developed. This is feasible as much of the technical work has already been produced by EFRAG, particularly on Oil and Gas, Mining, Road Transport, Textiles, and Agriculture Farming and Fishing (AFF). 2. The EU Commission must provide a clear mandate for EFRAG to prioritise and finalise work on sector-specific standards. The EU Commission must provide a clear mandate for EFRAG to prioritise the development of proposals and consultation for the rest of sector-specific standards over other work requested from EFRAG. All twenty high-impact sector standards should be published by 2026 to meet urgent market demands. 3. Use the time before adoption to provide drafts of sector standards for public consultation and piloting by companies.The EU Commission should use any time between EFRAG draft sector standards and final adoption as an opportunity to collect market feedback and encourage companies to pilot drafts. For example, pilot projects could help companies identify and address material topics or develop transition plans in their industry.
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Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Oct 2023 · PPWR

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

30 Jun 2023 · Implementation of the Green Deal, in particular its circular economy and biodiversity pillars

Ellen MacArthur Foundation urges inclusion of key circular sectors

3 May 2023
Topic — The initiative establishes a classification system for sustainable economic activities across various environmental objectives.
Message — The Foundation requests the inclusion of key sectors like food, textiles, and furniture. They call for raising ambition levels to match previous scientific expert recommendations. Additionally, the Commission should justify any deviations from expert quantitative threshold recommendations.123
Why — Expanding the taxonomy scope validates the Foundation's core circular economy policy priorities.4
Impact — Companies in the food, textile, and furniture sectors lose access to green capital.5
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Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

28 Feb 2023 · Implementation of the European Green Deal and priorities of the Foundation

Meeting with Pär Holmgren (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and European Environmental Bureau and

11 Jan 2023 · EU Textile Strategy (staff level)

Meeting with Jakop G. Dalunde (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

28 Nov 2022 · ESPR (Staff Level)

Meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius (Commissioner) and

7 Oct 2022 · To exchange on the commitments of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, including sustainability and information requirements for textiles, tackling green-washing and promoting circular business models

Meeting with Alice Kuhnke (Member of the European Parliament) and European Environmental Bureau

1 Jun 2022 · EU Textile Strategy (staff level)

Meeting with Alice Kuhnke (Member of the European Parliament) and European Environmental Bureau and Environmental Coalition on Standards

7 Apr 2022 · EU Textile Strategy (staff level)

Meeting with Alice Kuhnke (Member of the European Parliament) and European Environmental Bureau and Environmental Coalition on Standards

3 Feb 2022 · EU Textile Strategy (staff level)

Meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius (Commissioner) and

25 Jan 2022 · To discuss key challenges and opportunities for business in the context of the green transition to more sustainable and circular textiles

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

14 Oct 2021 · implementation of the EU circular economy action plan

Meeting with Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Jul 2021 · Circular economy

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

21 Nov 2019 · discussion on circular economy

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (First Vice-President)

21 Nov 2019 · Discussion on circular economy

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

16 Oct 2019 · discussion on circular economy policies

Meeting with Michel Barnier (Head of Task Force Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom)

2 Apr 2019 · Meeting with the Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 TEU

Meeting with Daniel Calleja Crespo (Director-General Environment)

22 Feb 2018 · Circular Economy

Meeting with Jyrki Katainen (Vice-President)

25 Jan 2018 · Circular economy

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

8 Nov 2017 · Discussion on a circular economy for plastics

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

6 Sept 2017 · Meeting on a circular economy for plastics

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (First Vice-President)

22 Jun 2017 · Plastics Strategy

Meeting with Daniel Calleja Crespo (Director-General Environment)

2 May 2016 · The Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation report's : "The New Plastics Economy", Circular Economy