Green & Clean

Exploring circular solutions for modernizing the building stock and creating affordable housing There are some exciting advancements in circularity in the built environment but a long-way to go for the widespread adoption of construction and renovation practices that conserve resources, minimize waste, achieve carbon-emissions reduction and, increase durability and longevity of buildings while being cost effective. Cities have a critical role to play in this transformation as they try to address affordable housing challenges, an aging building stock and pursue...

• Circular Flanders: Aims to reduce its material footprint by 30% by 2030. This strategy emphasizes cross-organizational integration, effective policy research, and building partnerships with local governments, businesses, and research sectors. The result? Enhanced guidance tools, monitored contracts, and a marketplace engaged for continuous improvement.
• Richmond, Canada: Leverages strategic data analysis to uncover opportunities, close value loops, and drive circular solutions across city projects, from infrastructure to office assets. Community engagement is critical to co-owning the process and fostering innovation.

The latest IURC NA Best Practice on Public Procurement for Circular Cities lets cities and regions discover actionable strategies, so their spending power can drive sustainable change! By embracing circular procurement, cities can create new local jobs, reduce waste, and boost social integration. Some key features include:

• Start simple and scale up
• Engage suppliers early to foster innovation
• Use life-cycle costs to guide decisions
• Join buyers’ networks and share best practices

The circular economy has gained in popularity because its basic principles, such as designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems, can be applied at various scales, and the potential benefits are broad. Considering the core competencies of municipal governments, cities can play a well-rounded role in the circular economy by promoting the circular economy and acting as a role model, facilitating connections and establishing multi-level governance to align priorities and policy coherence, enabling appropriate governance conditions by mobilizing resources, adapting regulatory frameworks,...

Cities increasingly adopt systemic and integrated planning approaches to enhance their resilience and address challenges like climate change, population growth, and food security. The circular economy has gained traction because its principles can be applied at various scales and offer broad benefits. Effective planning is crucial to harnessing the circular economy’s potential for environmental benefits, job creation, support for local businesses, and social cohesion. Leading examples of municipal innovation demonstrate that cities are key to driving this transformation.

The IURC-China initiative achieved success in enhancing partnerships and facilitating the exchange of knowledge among European and Chinese cities and regions. It developed 9 city and regional cooperation partners in 3 thematic networks, bridging over 40 cities and regions across China and Europe. During 2021-2023, participants engaged in 78 thematic events, resulting in the creation and dissemination of more than 50 knowledge products.

In the past three years, collaborations, investments, and knowledge sharing has multiplied on themes related to the circular economy (CE). Networks, knowledge-sharing hubs, and training tools are bringing to light the CE innovations and best practices in fields such as waste and water management, land-use planning, transportation, infrastructure and buildings, agriculture, and food systems. The cities and regions that are part of the IURC NA network are well-placed to contribute to this global transformation to improve circularity by promoting and...

You are invited to the first IURC-NA webinar session of 2024, focusing on international cooperation and how it can relate to the sustainable and resilient cities of the future! Climate change and environmental deterioration have become central to cities’ urban development plans. As a result, the European Union’s IURC program facilitates the exchange of challenges and solutions internationally to accelerate the reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of life in urban areas. This first online session of 2024 will be an opportunity...

Over three years, European cities and regions have had the opportunity to cooperate with colleagues across the world in order to develop their capacity in ecological transition and the Green Deal; urban & regional renewal and social cohesion; and innovative sustainable & carbon neutral ecosystems and strategic sectors. These are the takeaways of the programme’s final event 2023.

IURC Annual Event 2021 visual takeaways

Seberang Perai have successfully replicated two circular economy waste management models post-study visits to Vila Nova de Famalicão & Maia: (1) Bagan Ajam Market and (2) eco-school vocational training (citizen centric community programmes)

In the framework of IURC Latin America, Essen and Fortaleza are exchanging knowledge and best practices on circular economy and waste management, linked to the recycling and collection of special waste, legal frameworks, and waste fee structures, that promote zero-waste policies. They coined the name “Fortalessen” for their collaboration, as a symbol of how working together made them stronger.

The webinar "Smart Specialization Strategies and Sustainability" organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme sougth to show reflections related to the sustainability dimension of smart specialisation strategies and their deployment in the industrial (industrial policies and sustainability) and local (entrepreneurship and innovation Hubs) dimensions. The presentations aimed to generate inspiration on how to mobilise research and innovation to address the SDGs in various territorial contexts, including places facing institutional and structural challenges. The framework is...

The online Capacity Building on Regenerative Design by ACCIONA, organised by the IURC Central Coordination Services in coordination with the Geographical Areas in two sessions (morning for Asia & Australasia and China; afternoon for Latin America and North America) aimed to support worldwide pairings and clusters to path the way of their ongoing projects during the last year of the programme. The training was conducted on March 7th 2023 and welcomed more than 75 participants from all around the globe.

5 case studies:

Case study 1 – Climate & Food (Umeå) 

Case study 2 – Over-tourism and sustainable promotion of territories (Metropolitan City of Venice) 

Case study 3 – Citizen-led sustainable urban development (Kamakura) 

Case study 4 – Station of Being (Umeå) 

Case study 5 – Over-tourism (Kamakura) 

For each of the case studies, there is an executive summary, special features, results and impact, key figures and lessons learned.

 

Essen and Fortaleza (“Fortalessen”) are exchanging knowledge and best practices on circular economy and waste management in the framework of the International, Urban and Regional Cooperation programme (IURC Latin America), linked to the recycling and collection of special waste, legal frameworks, and waste fee structures, that promote zero-waste policies.
These guidelines share the main learnings from this exchange and provide a roadmap for other cities that wish to implement a solid waste recollection fee while integrating
complementary interventions.

The webinar "Repair, Recycle, Re-use: International experiences on the upcycling of electronic waste” organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme sougth to share inspiration about circular economy best practices, focused on the re-use, recycling, and repair of electronic waste and other materials. Three international experiences on the creation of recycling centres and related repairing initiatives were discussed to highlight opportunities and challenges linked to upcycling experiences in cities. Space The full agenda of the event...

IURC NA, in partnership with the City of Ottawa and the EU-funded project Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada, held on June 2nd and 3rd, 2022, the Waste Management & Circular Economy Networking Event in Ottawa, Canada. Approximately 50 representatives from Spain, Poland, Italy, the USA, and Canada gathered to work on managing plastic at various levels of government level, developing strategies to enhance recycling, and generating energy from multiple sources of waste. These are the takeaways.

Lessons Learned from Sao Paulo

The online Capacity Building on Regenerative Design by ACCIONA, organised by the IURC Central Coordination Services in coordination with the Geographical Areas in two sessions (morning for Asia & Australasia and China; afternoon for Latin America and North America) aimed to support our worldwide pairings and clusters to path the way of their ongoing projects during the last year of the programme. The training was conducted on March 7th 2023 and welcomed more than 75 participants from all around the...

The webinar "Inclusive recycling " organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme introduced inclusive recycling and the potential of integrating the empowerment of vulnerable women with sustainable practices that incorporate technology and both financial and mobility solutions. Space The full agenda of the event is available here Space Download the presentations here Space Read the highlights from the event here

In this interactive workshop, Circular Economy Expert Erin Kennedy from Metabolic – a Netherlands-based organization who has over a decade of experience advising businesses, governments, and nonprofits around the world on how to thrive in a circular economy – will offer practical advice and strategies to help cities develop and implement their circular economy plans. Download: Miro Board

You are invited to the second session of the Cities Supporting Cities Towards Circular Economy Concepts, Frameworks, and Actions series of masterclasses. In this second session of the IURC-NA Cities Supporting Cities Towards a Circular Economy series: participants will learn how policies, interventions, and strategies from the city government can support industrial manufacturing operations to implement circular business practices. During this interactive session, participants will get the opportunity to ask questions to representatives from several leading companies and better understand...

Download: Presentation

Takeaways of the IURC China Circular Economy Webinar

Tuesday, 21 June 2022 09:00 – 11:00 CEST | 15:00 – 17:00 MYT | 16:00 – 18:00 JST   Check your local time here.   In our first thematic webinar Circular City Hubs: Improving Thriving, Liveable, Resilient Urban Centres on 14 December 2021,  participating IURC cities identified cities as centres for innovation hubs. The outcome of the webinar resulted in 13 IURC cities from 9 countries (Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Finland, New Zealand, Portugal) completing a circular economy cluster spreadsheet for an inclusive stock take....

Vila Nova de Famalicão and Seberang Perai
Advancing Policies for Circular Neighbourhoods

IURC-China Programme promotes the inter-city and regional cooperation, learning and innovation between the EU and China, as well as supports cities and regions in implementing the United Nations´ Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the local development agenda, bringing together 44 cities and regions to collaborate in an inclusive and win-win approach towards sustainable urban development and regional innovation.

This booklet provides information of their general socio-economic profiles, good practices and preferred areas of cooperation.

BACKGROUND   Strategies and actions are needed worldwide to optimize the infrastructure and resource management to confront the challenges of resource depletion, climate change and degradation of ecosystems.  Nature-based solutions (NBS) and circular economy (CE) can provide tools for this transition. Implementation of NBS, combined with the concept of the circular economy benefits the ecosystem services and returns resources to the territory.  Blue-green infrastructure in smart cities, integrated water management, ICT etc. are considered as enabling tools for NBS in...

Thursday, 17 March 2022, 08:00AM – 09:30AM (CET) / 18:00 – 19:30 (AEDT) Moderation: Professor Bruce Wilson at RMIT & Country Coordinator IURC Australia   This thematic cluster webinar is a part of International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia, which aims to further urban and regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable urban development and innovation between EU and non-EU cities. The activity is in addition to the ongoing bilateral discussions amongst cities. Within the IURC thematic network n°2...

Visual Takeaways of the Ecological Transition and Green Deal parallel session at the IURC Annual Event 2021 (24 November).

Tuesday, 14 December 2021 9:00 – 10:30 CET | 16:00 – 17:30 MYT | 19:00 – 20:30 Melbourne   Why cities are crucial to a circular economy? Cities have a high concentration of resources, capital, data, and talent spread over a relatively small geographic area and are centres for innovation hubs. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2050 two thirds of us will live in cities, consuming 75% of the world’s natural resources, producing 50% of global waste and...

Visual Takeaways of the Ecological Transition and Green Deal parallel session at the IURC Annual Event 2021 (23 November).

This inaugural webinar organised by LIFE Initiative For Environment (LIFE) will introduce the audiences to the principles of circular economy from a global perspective, the circular economy journey in Malaysia and its potential and impact beyond waste management. The webinar is open to the public and NGOs intended to serve communities by developing long-term environmental and sustainable development projects in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030. When: Nov 27, 2021 (Sat) 10:00 AM Kuala Lumpur (04:00 AM CET)...

Food markets have been among the most affected vendors during the Covid-19 pandemic. These markets have social and cultural importance, as well as holding a lot of potential for sustainability and local economy and innovation. Together with the Inter-American Development Bank, our International Urban and Regional Development Programme will host a webinar on The Future of Food Markets in Latin America, including some best practices from European IURC Cities Madrid and Rotterdam. We look forward to welcoming you to the...

What is Malaysia’s view on climate change? What are corporate perspectives for net-zero emissions? What does civil society think about climate change and biodiversity loss? This virtual conference will generate new ideas for Malaysia to foster a nature-positive and net-zero economy, with high quality and resilient ecosystem services. Make your voice heard as we prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). ********** Panel 3: Promoting and Developing Sustainable Cities There is vast scope...

The IURC programme will join the Malaysian Urban Forum 2021 as a knowledge partner with Pablo Gandara, the Team Leader of IURC Asia & Australasia, participating as a discussant in the "Consumer Behaviour Towards a Circular Pathway" roundtable on 8 September, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

The IURC Asia & Australasia will organise a kick-off meeting for EU and Malaysian cities that will cooperate within the IURC programme. Joining the meeting will be representatives from Bologna and Imola NCI from Italy; Eixo Atlantico, Vila Nova and Maia from Portugal; and Seberang Perai, Georgetown and Malacca City from Malaysia. The cities will cooperate on several areas including circular economy and will be briefed on pilot projects and action plans that are expected to result from their cooperation.