Ellen Jackowski: Mastercard and the Future Circular Economy
The ever-growing use of raw materials severely impacts the environment, leading to larger volumes of emissions and waste.
Adopting a circular economy model is projected to mitigate these environmental impacts. For example, a report by Accenture suggests that by 2030, circular economies could unlock US$4.5 trillion in global value.
Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard, will take the stage at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC, discussing insights on 'The Future of Circular Economy'.
As Chief Sustainability Officer for over three years, Ellen has led Mastercard's various carbon-reduction initiatives. Her mandate has always been to integrate sustainability into the core of the company's operations and leverage Mastercard's global network to foster a more inclusive and sustainable society.
Ellen's experience spans years in sustainability, beginning her career at HP where she managed the company's Sustainable Impact Strategy for almost 15 years, achieving commendable milestones like developing the world's most sustainable PC portfolio.
Her voluntary commitments include board-level positions at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Ocean Plastics Leadership Network.
Procurement and circular economy
Mastercard's research highlights a shift in consumer behaviours, illustrating an increased interest in circular fashion, such as second-hand shopping and upcycled goods.
The data shows that consumer spending on luxury and high-end fashion through circular merchants has grown significantly.
Ellen says: “Whenever I compliment someone on their clothing lately, it feels like half the time their response is, ‘Thanks! It’s a rental.’
“Mastercard’s Economics Institute recently dug into this trend to analyse spending across online merchants who resell or rent clothing and accessories.
“The finding? Consumers’ spending at both luxury and mass circular fashion merchants has increased over the last few years, reaching new high shares of online US apparel spending in 2025 - even exceeding post-pandemic highs.
“Today, about 27% of online apparel spend in the luxury market was at circular fashion merchants.”
To support these market dynamics, Mastercard has launched 'Agent Pay', an AI-driven shopping assistant.
This tool helps buyers navigate, curate and complete purchases effectively, which could be transformative in enhancing consumer engagement with second-hand shopping options.
Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025
Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC provides a platform for addressing pressing climate and environmental issues impacting businesses.
It encompasses panels on ESG data, corporate reporting standards, climate finance, supply chain transparency and digital platform roles in enhancing sustainability.
The gathering offers C-suite executives an educational experience, earning them points for professional development and equipping them with actionable strategies to address climate challenges.
This forum convenes numerous global companies and sustainability leaders, fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Attendees will benefit from practical insights into climate action and have access to influential voices in global sustainability discussions.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to join the conversation. Get your tickets here.
