Last week, ACR+ took an active role throughout the World Circular Economy Forum, engaging in various sessions and activities aimed at advancing the circular economy agenda. On the first day, our secretary general, Françoise Bonnet, was one of the five guest speakers at the session titled "The circular economy we want for Europe 2024-2029", along with Ambroise Fayolle (Vice-President of the European Investment Bank), Florika Fink-Hooijer (Director General of DG ENV), Sandra Dokic (State Secretary, Ministry of Environmental Protection of Serbia), and Pascal Bourguet (COO and Channel Chief of Lenovo International Market). The speakers critically examined the EU's commitment to circularity and identified areas requiring urgent action. This session provided a platform for insightful discussions on the role of the circular economy in addressing climate change and enhancing competitiveness in Europe.
On the second day, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform held its 2024 conference in collaboration with the WCEF to add a dedicated track showcasing Europe’s progress. One of the sessions, co-organised by ACR+ as member of the ECESP, on effective and inclusive circular transition governance in cities and regions saw the participation of ACR+ members Navarra and OVAM.
Another moment of note during the WCEF was DG RTD’s Accelerator session contributing to the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) community. ACR+ leads CCRI’s thematic working group on circular resource management, and also participated in the session, which delved into how circular projects can leverage impact measurement practices and alignment with EU regulations to attract investments. The day before, in another Accelerator session, ACR+ member Zero Waste Scotland offered to discover the pivotal role of cities, regions and local governments in translating national circular economy ambitions into action through a place-based approach.
On 18 April, ACR+ actively engaged in discussions at the 6th Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform meeting, exploring how Zero Pollution strategies can help cities and regions achieve their environmental ambitions.
Throughout the week, we welcomed in our offices and met with several ACR+ members and project partners, like Afvall Norge, Northern Cities Netherlands, or Hamburg, who came to Brussels for the event. It is always a pleasure to discuss with you!
Last but not least, we attended several sessions, for example on the built environment, on which we will be reporting in the coming weeks.