Since January 2022, Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) is a Programme under UNITAR’s Division for Planet. This transition to UNITAR follows being a Programme under UNU-ViE since 2016, UNU-IAS and UNU-ISP Operating Unit SCYCLE, and the former European Focal Point of the Zero Emissions Forum since the 2000s.

MISSION

SCYCLE’s mission is to promote sustainable societies. Its activities focus on the development of sustainable production, consumption and disposal patterns for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), as well as for other ubiquitous goods. SCYCLE leads the global e-waste discussion and advances sustainable e-waste management strategies based on life-cycle thinking.

VISION

SCYCLE’s vision is to enable societies to reduce the environmental load of production, including but not limited to the use and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment, to sustainable levels through independent, comprehensive, and practical research that provides facts for more thorough policy development and decision-making.

OBJECTIVES

• SCYCLE fosters solutions-oriented dialogue, cooperation, and consensus. Within this context, SCYCLE accomplishes the following:
• Conducts research on eco-structuring towards sustainable societies
• Develops interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder public-private partnerships
• Assists governments in developing e-waste legislation and standards
• Responsible for education, training, and capacity development; and
• Facilitates and disseminates practical, science-based recommendations to the United Nations and its agencies, governments, scholars, industries, and the public.