sustainable built environment

: Published: 11 April 2024

NO SUSTAINABLE FUTURE WITHOUT A JUST, SUFFICIENT, AND CIRCULAR TRANSITION

Recent years have seen an acceleration of the triple environmental crisis we are facing. We urgently need to put the sustainable management of material resources at the top of the political agenda and at the heart of our actions. With this mind and on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, ACR+ is offering a new vision for circular cities and regions, accompanying it with a strategy towards 2030. The goal is to inspire cities and regions to drive their environmental policies towards sustainable consumption and production models, respecting the planet boundaries and ensuring everyone’s basic needs.

This new strategy is ACR+ call to action for a just, sufficient, and circular transition.

ACR+ vision for circular cities and regions

Vibrant cities and regions where the eco-nomic and the eco-logical systems go hand in hand, through policies aimed at a fair distribution of wealth and resources, a fair access to public services, while guaranteeing positive effects on the environment and public health.

Three principles are for us essential and non-negotiable to enact the transition towards waste-free circular systems:

No green ambitions will be achieved without circular economy
The transition we need is a just transition driven by the sufficiency principle
Cities and regions are at the heart of sustainability action

Making the vision a reality: our mission

Our mission is to provide our members with concrete tools and approaches to enact the transition towards waste-free circular systems in their territories and beyond.

ACR+ is at the service of its members
ACR+ is the voice of decentralised authorities
ACR+ is a gateway to technical data

Our objectives for 2030

By 2030, ACR+ intends to be the go-to source of information and resources for decentralised authorities wishing to achieve and accelerate a just transition to a circular economy.

For that, we have the set the following concrete objectives to reach in cooperation with ACR+ members:

Support the adoption of a EU material resources law: by 2030, we want to see the adoption of an EU material resources law covering biomass, fossil fuels, minerals and metals.
Push each ACR+ member to develop a circular economy strategy: by 2030, we want 50% of the (relevant) ACR+ members to have adopted a circular economy strategy and the other half to be working in this direction.
Break all the "silos: by 2030, we will instigate more partnerships with other key actors/sectors, develop the network in other geographical areas, and support our members in better connecting their own services, fostering cooperation across departments.

: Published: 11 April 2024

To mark its 30th anniversary, ACR+ is delighted to launch a photo contest, on the theme "Capturing Circularities in Cities and Regions".

The contest invites participants to submit photographs that creatively depict and communicate the essence, influence and evolution of the circular economy within their respective territories over the past three decades.

Prizes

The 12 highest-scoring photos and winners of the contest will be exhibited in Marseille during the ACR+ General Assembly on 18 and 19 June. Following this, the winning photos will travel across Europe, being showcased at the offices of some of our members. Moreover, the three highest scoring photos will be rewarded with a subscription to National Geographic magazine.

Registration

Proposals must be submitted via the contest form by 30 April 2024.

Read the Competition rules and the Terms and Conditions.

I submit a picture!

Join us in capturing the spirit of the circular economy and mark three decades of progress towards sustainable resource management. Submit your entry today and be a part of this celebration!

: Published: 14 September 2023

builtenvironment

How a city is built can have a massive impact on environment and climate change effects. The topic of built environment is key in the framework of a circular transition. Adopting circular solutions and strategies on built environment can produce benefits in terms of reduction of GHGs emissions, land use, energy consumption and even on the level of happiness of citizens.

This topic within the ACR+ Thematic area is strictly related to sectors such as urban planning and design, architecture, referring to buildings, public spaces and infrastructures, and, in general, construction and demolition value chains. Public authorities can play a key role in promoting and supporting circularity in the built environment by implementing policies and actions that:

Make secondary materials competitively priced through green taxes
Promote standardisation of secondary raw materials at national level
Facilitate selective demolition, renovation, retrofitting, and materials’ reuse
Support research on and implementation of circular construction solutions (such as Nature Based Solutions)

Work in progress

ACR+ is currently working on this area through:

Inertwaste: an Interreg Europe project that aims to valorise inert waste from industrial and construction processes and extend their life cycle. The project is based on the exchange of European regional experiences and the discussion of ideas for resolving current policy challenges. ACR+ is involved in the project as a partner under the lead of its member the Navarre region.

Have a look at

Interested in the topic? You can have a look at the following resources:

Pilot Actions of the ProCirc project: a project that demonstrates circular procurement opportunities in the construction sector, with a focus on different types of buildings such as temporary structures, reused office buildings, social housing, public administration office buildings.
Sustainable construction guidelines for public authorities: a document that provides guidance on how to encourage circularity and material resources efficiency in the construction sector. The guidelines focus on circularity instead of covering only energy efficiency extensively, and go beyond waste to integrate the whole value chain of the construction sector.

Relevant projects and initiatives

If you want to get involved with our work on the Thematic Area or you have any questions please contact Serena Lisai (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

: Published: 03 April 2024

SOILL Start up

SOILL-Startup project aims support the implementation of the Horizon Europe ‘A Mission Soil Deal for Europe’. SOILL-Startup will set up and run an effective one-stop-shop to coordinate, support, enlarge and promote the network of 100 Soil Mission Living Labs and Lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils across Europe by 2030.

Project financed by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme of the European Union, 2024 - 2025.

THE PROJECT

THE PROJECT

Led by the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), the project counts on the close collaboration of 47 international partners to create a one-stop-shop support structure for the network of 100 Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses during the Mission Soil implementation.

Building on the experience of relevant EU-funded projects PREPSOIL and NATI00NS projects, SOILL will support, coordinate, expand, and promote the 100 Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses with dedicated support actions that include dedicated capacity building, knowledge exchange, promotion, and regular monitoring.  Already a partner in the PREPSOIL project, ACR+ will continue to support the Soil Mission also through the SOILL partnership agreement.

SOILL-Startup, in particular, as the first phase of the large SOILL framework programme, aims to co-design and launch the SOILL one-stop structure for coordination, support, enlargement, and promotion of the network of 100 SHLLs/LHs in participatory collaboration with the first waves of SHLL/LHs and key stakeholders and initiatives.

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

ACR+ will be contributing to certain tasks by engaging its own members and reaching out to contacts previously acquired through other similar initiatives and projects under the Sustainable Food Systems thematic area. Apart from that, ACR+ has a prominent supporting role throughout the rest of the project.

ACR+ will have a strong presence in the Engagement Campaigns for applicants of SHLLs, where it will be expected to host a relevant event which would serve as a specific topic related engagement and networking sessions which would further trigger dialogue, collaboration and a creation of new consortia and living labs.

An important role for ACR+ and its network will be also supporting and contributing to a coordinated action on awareness raising and capacity building in the area of Soil Health and Sustainable Soil Management – both for existing SHLLs and for future SHLL applicants.

Finally, dissemination of results and widespread promotion of calls for action that will result from the implementation of the Framework Partnership Agreement on the Soil Deal for Europe Mission. These areas of action well align with the currently ongoing set-up of a Sustainable Food System thematic area of work within ACR+.

PARTNERS INVOLVED

PARTNERS INVOLVED

SOILL´s project leader is ENoLL, EUROPEAN NETWORK OF LIVING LABS IVZW (BE), and its project partners are:

ACR+, ASSOCIATION OF CITIES AND REGIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, BE
CKIC, CLIMATE-KIC HOLDING BV, NL
ERRIN, EUROPEAN REGIONS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION NETWORK, BE
TRUST-IT, TRUST-IT SRL, IT
LGI, LGI SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION, FR
AU, AARHUS UNIVERSITET, DK
EUFIC, EUROPEAN FOOD INFORMATION COUNCIL, BE
CIHEAM Bari, CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE DI ALTISTUDI AGRONOMICI MEDITERRANEI, IT
OMKI, OKOLOGIAI MEZOGAZDASAGI KUTATOINTEZET KOZHASZNU NONPROFIT KFT, HU
GAIA, ASOCIACION DE INDUSTRIAS DE CONOCIMIENTO Y TECNOLOGIA – GAIA - EUSKALHERRIKO EZAGUTZA ETA TEKNOLOGIA INDUSTRIEN ELKARTEA, ES
EVILVO, EIGEN VERMOGEN VAN HET INSTITUUT VOOR LANDBOUW- EN VISSERIJONDERZOEK, BE
EIT, Food EIT FOOD, BE
ELO, EUROPEAN LANDOWNERS ORGANIZATION, BE
IFOAM, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MOVEMENTS EUROPEAN UNION REGIONAL GROUP, SE
EEB, EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL BUREAU, BE
EFI, EUROPEAN FOREST INSTITUTE, FI
WE, WATER EUROPE, BE
FIBL, EUROPE FIBL EUROPE – FORSCHUNGSINSTITUTFUR BIOLOGISCHEN LANDBAU IN EUROPA, BE
1 AE FiBL France, FIBL FRANCE, FR
BIOSENSE, BIOSENSE INSTITUTE – RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN BIOSYSTEMS, RS
KTP, KRAKOWSKI PARK TECHNOLOGICZNY SP ZOO, PL
AUTH, ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS, EL
EINDH, GEMEENTE EINDHOVEN, NL
DELTARES, STICHTING DELTARES, NL
CREA, CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA, IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA, IT
AIR, FUNDACION INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE INVESTIGACION EN INTELIGENCIA ARTIFICIAL Y CIENCIAS DE LA COMPUTACION, ES
ULANC, UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER, UK
CU, CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY, UK

More information:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Agnese Boccalon

: Published: 14 September 2023

builtenvironment

This Thematic Area is about connecting the dots of circularity on your territory by making citizens, consumers, and producers care and be involved to boost a local sustainable consumption and production. From supporting stakeholders to instigate new models based on maximising the potential of resources and designing out of waste to using a wide array of drivers such as tourism, sport and cultural events to steer a green transition, this thematic area encompasses a wide diversity of initiatives and projects. Define your role as a game changer to speed up the transition while maintaining a holistic approach balancing economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion.

Initiatives and projects that contribute to this area and portfolio want to examine behaviour, assess consumption patterns and challenge the status quo and provoke behavioural change. A cross-sectoral cooperation is needed in order to allow them to do so.