This report is a synthesis of the debate carried out with Sladjana Mijatovic in the conference series ‘Facing climate change’, organised by Catalunya Europa Foundation in the context of the Re-City project. This session, entitled ‘Circular economy: a shift in the productivity model’ consisted of a public lecture, a seminar with participants from the academic sector of Catalonia and a lunch-debate that brought together personalities from the economic, social, political and business sector of Catalonia.