ACR+ General Assembly 2022

From 09 Juin 2022 13:30 until 10 Juin 2022 14:00
Categories: ACR+ Events

Empowering the sustainable transition towards circularity
New participative approaches for ACR+ cities and regions to lead the transition pathway



The annual ACR+ General Assembly as we know it was back, after two editions behind our screens, under the guiding theme "Empowering the sustainable transition towards circularity. New participative approaches for ACR+ cities and regions to lead the transition pathway." All ACR+ members were wholeheartedly invited to convene in Brussels for not one but two intense days including expert insights, lively debates, thematic discussion sessions, the EWWR Awards Ceremony, a culinary exploration, and above all a good mood at anytime. 

 

ACR+ cities and regions on the transition path

Exchanging between peers on experiences, common challenges, but also good practices is central in a network. Thematic discussion groups thus took place during the General Assembly on the following topics:

  • Circular and Green Public Procurement: a powerful tool to shape the transition towards a Circular Economy
    This session discussed about the challenges that cities and regions face in implementing Circular and Green Public Procurement, one of the powerful yet still under-used tool in their hands. It reflected on how the purchase power of public authorities can set the market in motion and develop more circular products and services.
  • Sustainable Food Systems: aligning local action to EU targets and global challenges
    This session discussed the sustainability and circularity of food and organic waste management. Participants will brainstorm on questions such as “How to achieve higher reliance on internal resources for agricultural production inputs production in Europe?”. The green metropolitan region of Arnhem-Nijmegen shared its experience on adapting its food production systems to current trends, and engaging citizens in better understanding food production. Examples of organic by-products development from Dutch businesses were also presented.
  • Sustainable textiles: from EU strategy to local systems
    The textile sector is a resource-intensive sector with significant impacts on the climate and environment, and is identified as a key value chain in the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. The upcoming requirement for separate collection of textile waste in the EU, combined with implementation of EPR schemes and principles and the recent achievements in sorting and recycling technology empower regions and cities with an important role in facilitating the transition towards a more resilient, circular and sustainable way. This session discussed local best practices, how they can be replicated, and how they can interact effectively with national and EU strategies.
  • EPR Schemes and the Cost of Littering, following the Single Use Plastics Directive
    This discussion was dedicated to the impacts of the Single Use Plastics Directive on EPR schemes, what its implementation would mean for the LRAs and especially the littering cost coverage foreseen in its article 8 . Although the Directive brings important changes in terms of expanding the responsibility of producers to actions such as covering the costs littering clean up or awareness raising activities among the public, it does not specify any criteria about how these costs should be calculated. This creates a challenge for the LRAs who are responsible for determining these costs so that they can be reflected onto the producers.

 

Open session: a circular resilient Europe

It is a euphemism to say that the last years – and even just couple of months - have been high in key decisions when it comes to support Europe’s green transition and progress towards a systemic circular change.

To help ACR+ members navigate among the new instruments and circular economy solutions at local and regional level, guest speakers shared their insight during an open session on "A circular resilient Europe" including an introduction speech and a discussion panel.

An extra-ordinary General Assembly

In addition to the ordinary business, this year’s General Assembly included two votes (for representatives of effective members): a new Board of Directors for 2022-2024 has been elected and the Statutes have been modified.

 

Programme

Day 1 - 09 June

13:30 - 14:00 Opening of registrations, meet & greet
14:00 - 15:00 ACR+ cities and regions on the transition path - Presentation of ACR+ work
15:00 - 17:20 ACR+ cities and regions on the transition path - Thematic discussion groups
  • Circular and Green Public Procurement: a powerful tool to shape the transition towards a Circular Economy
  • Sustainable Food Systems: aligning local action to EU targets and global challenges
  • Sustainable textiles: from EU strategy to local systems
  • EPR Schemes and the Cost of Littering, following the Single Use Plastics Directive
17:30 - 19:15 EWWR Awards Ceremony
19:30 - 22:00 Dinner

 

Day 2 - 10 June

08:30 - 09:00 Registrations
09:00 - 09:10 Welcome words
Iain Gulland - ACR+ President, Chief Executive Zero Waste Scotland
09:10 - 09:30 Opening speech
Minister Alain Maron - Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region
Responsible for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Participatory Democracy
09:30 - 10:00

A circular resilient Europe - Introduction speech: Birthing a resilient Europe
Mathieu Leporini, European Centre of Excellence on Sustainability - CERDI (CNRS, University Clermont Auvergne)

10:00 - 11:30 A circular resilient Europe - Discussion panel: local and regional authorities' role in building a circular resilient Europe
Mathieu Leporini, European Centre of Excellence on Sustainability - CERDI (CNRS, University Clermont Auvergne)
Emmanuelle Maire, European Commission - DG ENV
Annika Eskusson, European Commission - DG RTD
Maria Nikolopoulou, European Economic and Social Committee
Adrian Hiel, Energy Cities
11:30 - 11:45 Coffee break
11:45 - 13:00 ACR+ General Assembly Ordinary and Extra-ordinary businesses 
13:00 - 14:00 Light lunch

 

 

The ACR+ 2022 General Assembly was made possible thanks to the support of Brussels Environment as hosting member.

 

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