Signify is using a new analysis published ahead of COP31 in Antalya to press a case for modernizing existing lighting infrastructure rather than replacing it wholesale. The paper, produced by the Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab at the University of Oxford together with Academics for Circular Economy e.V. and supported by Signify, reviewed 50 lighting projects across ten sectors and reports that 37 projects (74%) yielded benefits in terms of investment, maintenance or financing.
Study scope and headline findings
The analysis covers ten sectors including hospitals, schools, airports, offices, ports, tunnels and municipal infrastructure. It found energy savings in 36 of the 50 projects studied, with a median reduction of 59.5% in energy use where savings were reported. Signify highlighted a project at the Dublin Port tunnel that modernized approximately 1,800 light points and, the company estimates, saved €3 million in investment compared with installing a completely new LED system.
“Innovation should not automatically mean replacement,” said Mario Giordano, Head of Global Public and Government Affairs at Signify.
Barriers to circular modernization
The paper identifies systemic obstacles that limit reuse and retrofit approaches. Those include product design that restricts reuse, limited access to spare parts and repair information, and gaps in financing, ownership models, data and expertise. The analysis also flags procurement practices focused on initial cost, limited reuse circuits and underdeveloped reverse logistics as additional barriers to circular approaches.
- 50 projects reviewed across ten sectors
- 37 projects (74%) reported benefits for investment, maintenance or financing
- Energy savings in 36 projects; median reduction reported at 59.5%
Industry implications
Signify frames the findings as evidence that, where poles, cables, housings and other infrastructure remain fit for purpose, retaining and upgrading components can be the most sustainable and cost-effective route. The analysis suggests that resolving non-technical obstacles—procurement, financing and parts access—would expand opportunities for retrofit and circular strategies in public and commercial lighting projects.
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Study authors | Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab, University of Oxford; Academics for Circular Economy e.V. |
| Supporter | Signify |
| Projects reviewed | 50 projects across ten sectors |
| Projects showing benefits | 37 (74%) |
| Median energy reduction | 59.5% |
| Example | Dublin Port tunnel: ~1,800 light points modernized; estimated €3 million saved versus full replacement |
The analysis positions modernization as both a sustainability and a procurement issue. It argues that addressing access to spare parts, improving design for repair and reuse, developing financing models for refurbishment and creating better reverse-logistics channels will be necessary to scale circular lighting solutions.
Signify’s statement and the study’s publication date—October 26, 2026—coincide with preparatory messaging ahead of COP31 in Antalya, where issues of circularity, resource use and public procurement are high on the agenda.
