CIRCULARITY GAP REPORT METHODOLOGY AS A MACROECONOMIC CIRCULARITY MEASUREMENT TOOL: COMPUTATIONAL FRAMEWORK, LIMITATIONS AND CONDITIONS FOR ADAPTATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE EAEU STATES

Abstract

The article presents a critical analysis of the Circularity Gap Report (CGR) methodology – a macroeconomic circularity measurement instrument developed by Circle Economy since 2018. The computational framework of the circularity index (Input Technical Cycling rate) is reconstructed, the composition of primary statistical indicators required for its calculation is defined, and the limitations of the approach are systematised, including the Value Gap cost metric introduced in 2026. It is shown that the circularity index is not sector-specific and is not additive across economic activities, while sector-level estimates require an independent material balance of the value chain. None of the EAEU member states has a national circularity assessment under the CGR methodology, and existing Russian indicators are built on a different normalisation basis and are not internationally comparable. The scientific novelty of the work consists in formalising the conditions for applying the CGR methodology to Russian statistical practice: a mapping of the model variables to Rosstat, FCS and Rosprirodnadzor data sources is proposed, unobserved variables are identified, and calculation of the index in two boundary scenarios – with and without extraction waste – is justified.