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Circle Economy and ICLEI have partnered up to initiate the go to knowledge hub of case studies about the circular economy in cities. The Cities Collection is a repository of case studies that demonstrate the role of cities in the circular transition, and includes policies, business cases and research articles. Cases in the Collection flow into an ecosystem of digital products which support users in transitioning cities to circularity, for example [Ganbatte](https://ganbatte.world/cities/) and <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/" target="_blank">ICLEI Circulars</a>, both part of the <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/circle-lab-for-cities/" target = _blank">Circle Lab for Cities Programme.</a>

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Circular Cities

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Policy case

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Contributing to the improvement of biodiversity including species diversity, total number of protected species, and ecosystem health

Biodiversity

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

Producing electrical equipment and machinery for industrial use

Capital Equipment

Producing transporation equipment and providing services for thetransportation of goods and people

Transportation and Logistics

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Providing specialist services to support consumers, businesses, andgovernments

Professional Services

Societal Services

Producing building materials and providing services to create residential and non-residential infrastructure and real estate


Construction and Infrastructure

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

While resources are in-use, maintain, repair and upgrade them to maximise their lifetime and give them a second life through take back strategies when applicable

Stretch the lifetime

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

Consider opportunities to create greater value and align incentives that build on the interaction between products and services

Rethink the business model

Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use

Design for the future

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

Buildings are where we live, work and play, and also where we store machinery and goods for later consumption. Buildings are but one component of the greater built environment which includes urban infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities. 
Current construction techniques have buildings consuming the bulk of materials globally. With increasing urbanisation and therefore demand for buildings of every kind, we drastically need to re-imagine how we design, utilise and decommission buildings.

BUILDINGS

Waste is often the entry point for discussing a circular economy. However, in a fully circular economy, waste does not exist as it has  been designed out of the system from the outset, either through avoidance (reduction of materials) or because outputs are such that they can be re-used as inputs into other production and consumption processes. Studying existing waste streams allows us to trace the problem back to its source and design an appropriate intervention. 

WASTE

A circular water economy reduces water consumption, reuses and recycles water and wastewater, and recovers materials, including heat and minerals, from water and wastewater to not only mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also enhance resilience to climate change. A circular water economy preserves the health of water ecosystems using context specific approaches. 



WATER

The organics opportunity space refers to biological systems, organic products and materials, and the processes that relate to conserving and circulating organic materials at all stages of the value chain. Organics form part of the biocycle (as opposed to the technical cycle which includes metals and other non biodegradable materials) and requires different solutions to preserve nutrients at their highest value for re-entry back into the system. 


ORGANICS

The Value Chain opportunity space covers the activities of businesses across the whole value chain in the creation of a circular city that aids circular consumption. Municipalities create enabling conditions for businesses to offer circular products and services, and can become familiar with the range of solutions available to businesses that will encourage circular consumption and production in their locale. 

VALUE CHAINS

Roadmaps and strategies and targets

Redesign systems to lay the foundation for circular activities and enable the transition to a circular economy 

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Rethink

High-level changes to policy and practice (such as taxation systems, investment and procurement guidelines and criteria) that disincentivize activities that perpetuate linear economic systems, as well as vision-setting (goals, roadmaps) to catalyze
action on circularity across the city

Eliminate linear incentives and set goals and incentives for circularity

Communities

Governments

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

Impacts

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Industries

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A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policy Instruments

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

Urban Opportunities

The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

City Stakeholders

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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Deze Roadmap is tot stand gekomen dankzij de gewaardeerde bijdrage van een grote groep Leuvense experten. Hun bijdrage impliceert niet noodzakelijk dat zij deze Roadmap integraal onderschrijven. Ze hebben in eigen naam bijgedragen en niet in naam van hun organisatie.Annemie Geeraerd (KU Leuven), Bart Muys (KU Leuven, RvD), Bart Vercoutere (VHM, Bringme, RvD, DC), Bert Smits (Tweeperenboom), Bruno Motten (KU Leuven), Bruno Verbeeck (Ecolife), Daan Van Tassel (Stad Leuven), David Martens (Efika Engineering cvba, RvB), Denise Jacobs (Futureproofed), Dirk Vansintjan (Ecopower), Dries Capelle (Stad Leuven), Dries Vleugels (Stad Leuven), Erik Béatse (Riso Vlaams-Brabant), Evelien Van Bockstal (Vectris), Geert De Pauw (Stad Leuven), Geert Vanhorebeek (Stad Leuven), Gert Engelen (Rikolto), Hanne Wouters (Leuven 2030 ), Ilse Premereur (Stad Leuven), Inge Pauwels (Dialoog vzw), Jan Aerts (Leuven 2030), Johan Van Reeth (BUUR, RvD, DC), Jurgen Wauman (ondernemer), Karel Van Acker (KU Leuven), Karen Allacker (KU Leuven), Karen De Geyndt (KU Leuven), Katleen Van den Broeck (HIVA), Katrien Barrat (C-Change), Katrien Rycken (Leuven 2030), Kris Bachus (Hiva), Kristine Verachtert (BUUR), Kristof Polfliet (Stad Leuven), Kurt Peeters (Stad Leuven), Lien Boogaerts (Stad Leuven), Liesbet Veroeveren (Stad Leuven), Luc Wittebolle (Suma consulting), Marielle Albert (Stad Leuven), Martin Hermy (KU Leuven), Michèle Jacobs (Leuven 2030), Miechel De Paep (BUUR), Miranda Maes (Needle), Nico Croes (Boondoggle), Patricia Schoolmeesters (Stad Leuven), Pepijn De Snijder (Karditsel bvba), Peter Tom Jones (KU Leuven), Peter Willem (Willem-Vereycken bvba), Philippe Cypers (Stad Leuven), Pieter Van Steenwegen (KU Leuven), Raf Ghijsen (UZ Leuven, RvD), Raf Van Hoorick (KU Leuven), Robin Ibens (Shaved Monkey), Sara Timmermans (KU Leuven), Serge de Gheldere (Futureproofed, RvB, DC), Stef Steyaert (Levuur cvba), Stefaan Saeys (KU Leuven, voorzitter RvB, DC), Steven Van Geertruyden (OCMW Leuven), Stijn De Jonge (KU Leuven, RvB), Stijn Neuteleers (UCL), Stijn Van Herck (Stad Leuven), Tessa Avermaete (KU Leuven), Tim Asperges (Stad Leuven), Tom Kimps (OCMW Leuven), Trui Steen (KU Leuven), Veronique Charlier (Stad Leuven), Wiet Vandaele (Stad Leuven, RvB, DC), Wouter Nilis (T’Jonck/Nilis ir-arch, RvD).

Belgium

City of Leuven

The city of Leuven, Belgium, hopes to become a leader in initiating systemic change in cities, and to that end has drawn up three roadmaps for 2025, 2035 and 2050, which ultimately delineate the path for decarbonisation by 2050. The municipality of Leuven in Belgium is pioneering a new governance model of "radical participation," aiming to accelerate and scale action through distributing decision-making and responsibility among residents, academia, civil society organisations and the private sector, ceding some of the city's own power in the process.As part of 13 specific action plans for achieving this goal, Leuven Circulair was born. The programme outlines key actions for the city’s circular transition, focusing on entrepreneurship, repair, refurbishment, circular building, sustainable and circular consumption, and knowledge and expertise.&nbsp;

Leuven Circulair—a detailed programme for circularity, in the context of Leuven 2030 Roadmap

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Public-private partnerships

Facilitate cross-collaboration by engaging city departments, industries and businesses on ambitious, closed-loop circular projects.

Support closed-loop systems and cross-sectoral synergies

Cities consume about 75% of global energy and emit between 50% and 60% of global greenhouse gases (UN-Habitat). To reduce the negative impact of their energy consumption, cities need to shift away from fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy sources. Such a shift will help cities work towards their climate change mitigation and adaptation action plans. Renewable energy technologies such as wind, water, solar, and geothermal can also help improve access to energy in vulnerable and marginalised neighbourhoods through, for example, decentralised, off-grid solutions.

Renewable energy technologies can harvest the energy in nature’s processes, such as wind, and solar radiation and geothermal heat, that can be replenished within a human lifespan. In contrast, fossil fuels are materials that are not replenished within a human lifespan and are combusted for energy, losing the fuel material and resulting in emissions.

Local governments can develop sustainable energy plans, considering different energy resources and requirements, to develop a robust strategy for the development of renewable energy technologies and infrastructure throughout the city. They can also institute specific legislation and tax systems to regulate energy production and consumption, incentivise research and development of cleaner, more efficient technologies. Via Power Purchase Agreements cities can buy renewable energy from green energy providers and fix the price in order to provide security to financial institutions to finance renewable energy infrastructure. Furthermore, increasing awareness and facilitating capacity-building on planning urban sustainable energy projects can help the uptake of clean energy across the city by different stakeholders—from citizens to businesses and institutions. Facilitating collaboration, then, will be crucial, since private companies operate most of the world’s energy systems.


⚡ Energy Systems

Businesses

As much as 90% of world energy use comes from fossil sources. Meanwhile in 2017, only 0.7% of global energy use derived from solar power and 1.9% from wind ([Statistical Review of World Energy, 2021](https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html)). Some of the highly contested issues stopping the energy transition from materialising are land requirements and high upfront investment costs. Decentralising renewable energy production through cooperatives could be a solution to both. Local renewable energy cooperatives allow the financial burden of purchasing renewable energy equipment to be spread amongst a voluntary group of people, all while relying less on new land.

Cooperatives, then, allow residents without renewable energy potential, perhaps due to lack of space or property rental restrictions, to gain the potential through others. A cooperative project, for instance, may involve a street of houses in which the participants collectively decide to install solar PV panels on the roofs of suitable participating homes, whilst all participants' equally benefit from the renewable electricity production. This enables more people to consume renewable electricity and save on costs. Furthermore, all participants have a democratic say within the decision-making of the project, unlike a traditional electricity utility contract. This type of model can also be applied for microgrids, local biogas installations, gasifiers and other projects.

Local governments can support and facilitate such initiatives. They can set up a so-called “support coalition” that can support experiments, aid cooperative agreements, mobilise resources and provide regulatory support, such as subsidising part of the energy system. Municipalities can also become cooperative members themselves, directly consuming or selling the energy produced and gaining an additional instrument to implement municipal energy policy. 

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⚡  Support local renewable energy cooperatives

Thematic Areas

         The city of Leuven, the AGSL (Autonomous Urban Development Company), Museum M and Zorg Leuven are making ten public roofs available to install solar panels. The city is calling on its inhabitants to become fellow investors in the project, to boost the local production of renewable energy. The project will be 100% financed by citizens through the citizen cooperatives ECoOB and Ecopower, which are responsible for financing, supplying, installing and operating the solar panels. 
The solar panels will be installed in Spring 2021, on the rooftops of the police building, community halls, a sports hall, a nursery, a museum, a library and residential care centres.
Together, these solar panels will have a total capacity of 850 kWp, generating some 740,000 kWh per year, enough to power the equivalent of over 200 households. The result will be an estimated 180-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions annually.
Citizens’ cooperatives as a partner: joint expertise
The city selected two citizen cooperatives as partners. The broad experience of the established Ecopower and ECoOB’s more local focus make for well-rounded expertise.
Ecopower is one of the ground-breaking pioneers in the renewable energy industry in Flanders, and has a habit of cooperating with local authorities and citizens on all its projects. ECoOB is a recently established cooperative from the Leuven area, looking to make a meaningful contribution to climate-neutral energy supply in the region.
                  
The city is calling on as many city residents as possible to help finance the solar panels – which represent an overall investment of €850,000. Private residents, companies and civil-society organizations can contribute towards the solar panels through the purchase of ECoOB and/or Ecopower shares. By buying shares at €250 a piece, they become co-owners of all the cooperative’s installations. Profits permitting, a dividend of up to 6% can be paid out.
What’s in it for the stakeholders?
Thanks to this direct participation system, shareholders become co-owners of the solar panels in Leuven and thus of the energy produced. They gain democratic control over their management and will have a say in the cooperative’s policies – a valuable way of contributing to the long-term vision and objectives of the energy transition. Once profits are realized, they will flow back to the local community.
“Investments in local renewable energy also benefit the local economy and residents’ prosperity. Renewable energy production is best done locally as much as possible: for example, investments in green electricity and heat have a positive impact on local businesses and the broader economy” – David Dessers, alderman of the Leuven city council.
Want to find out more about the project? Get additional information here (Dutch only)
https://www.ecopower.be/nieuws/stad-leuven-ecoob-en-ecopower-nodigen-uit-om-mee-te-investeren-in-zonnepanelen-op-10-publieke-gebouwhttps://www.ecopower.be/over-ecopower/productie-installaties/stad-leuven
https://www.ecoob.be/projecten.php#L11DAKEN
                   

Leuven

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Ecopower

ECoOB

Ecopower, a cooperative from Flanders, was recently chosen by the city of Leuven to help them prepare for the energy transition. The City, the AGSL (Autonomous Urban Development Company), Museum M and Zorg Leuven are making ten public roofs available to install solar panels, calling on its inhabitants to become fellow investors in the project, to boost the local production of renewable energy. The project will be 100% financed by citizens through the citizen cooperatives ECoOB and Ecopower, which are responsible for financing, supplying, installing and operating the solar panels.