ACR+ General Assembly 2023
This year, thanks to our hosting member Eastern Midlands Waste Region, we are offering to join not one but three events!
- The ACR+ General Assembly 2023 (31 May): Help shape the direction of the network by joining our annual gathering where your organisation together with fellow members of ACR+ will introduce, discuss and challenge ideas and solutions during the formal assembly as well as the working group sessions and other less formal networking events in a pure Irish style.
- The Circular Economy Hotspot (29 May – 01 June): The event will revolve around three key themes: Policy in Practice, Citizen Engagement and Innovation & Collaboration. These themes will be explored across four focus areas: Social Enterprise, Design & Manufacturing, the Built Environment and Food Systems & the Bioeconomy.As an ACR+ member, you can benefit from a discount on your Hotspot tickets! Register now to get access to the codes!
- The 14th EWWR Awards Ceremony (1 June): this joyful event gathers the 16 most outstanding initiatives among the 16,000 actions carried out during the EWWR 2022, highlighting the yearly thematic focus that was on circular and sustainable textiles. They will be joined by the 5 action developers selected by the sister campaign Euro-Med Weeks for Waste Reduction.
Our host, the Eastern Midlands Waste Region
Member of ACR+ since 2015, co-holding ACR+ Vice-Presidency and one of Ireland’s three Waste Management Regions (all members of ACR+!), the EMWR includes twelve municiaplities, both urban and rural, with a population of approximately 2.2 million. Together, the three Waste Management Regions are responsible for overseeing the implementation of Ireland’s waste plans and are currently finalising Ireland’s first National Waste Management Plan.
Registrations
Register here or below to participate to our General Assembly! After registering, we will provide you with the voucher codes for different hotels In Dublin, as well as the voucher code that will grant you a discount on the Circular Economy Hotspot’s tickets.
You will need to cover your own bookings both for hotels and the Hotspot, as ACR+ will not carry out bookings on behalf of members.
Agenda
30 May
Even though we have no ACR+ activities for this day, the Circular Economy Hotspot will hold all its conference on Tuesday. As most of you will already be in Dublin, we're offering you to meet up for diner !
- 19.30 - Let's meet for a typically Irish diner !
31 May
Venue: Trinity College, Tangent Building, Luce Hall, Pearse St, Dublin 2
On Wednesday 31, we will be welcoming you at Trinity college, for our plenary session and our presentations in the morning, before having a tour of the college and its emblematic library during lunch. The afternoon will be dedicated to our thematic workshops, based on our 5 working themes, and you are invited to join us for dinner in the unmissable Guinness Storehouse.
- 09.30 - Welcome and refreshments
- 10.00 - Opening speeches
- Françoise Bonnet, Secretary General, ACR+
- Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland and President of ACR+
- 10.20: Keynote speech – Circular economy: the power of networks and people-centered approaches
Cillian Lohan, EESC member representing the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and Vice-President of the Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment section
10.40: Keynote speech - The Navarra Zirkular initiative
Ana Ollo Hualde, Regional Minister of Citizen Relations, Government of Navarre - 11.00 - Meet the circular newcomers in ACR network -
- Connacht Ulster, Nice Cote d’Azur, Ikos (Bordeaux), Castellammare di Stabia, Consorzio Italiano Compostatori, Institute for Albanian Municipalities
- 11.45 Administrative plenary session of the General Assembly
- 12.30 - Lunch and tour of Trinity College
- 14.00: Shaping ACR+ thematic areas – Interactive session, part 1: Mapping
- 14.50: Study case - Rijkswaterstaat’s vision on circular public procurement and cooperation with ACR+ circular network
- Joan Prummel, International Circular Economy Advisor, Rijkswaterstaat
- 15.05: Shaping ACR+ thematic areas – Interactive session part 2: Connecting the dots
- 16.00: Wrap up, towards ACR+ 30th anniversary
- 18.30: Join us for the Circular Economy Hotspot diner in the Guinness Storehouse !
1 June
Venue: Ashling Hotel Dublin, 10-13 Parkgate Street, Dublin
On Thursday 1 morning, the European Week of Waste Reduction’s (EWWR) Awards Ceremony will close this GA’s edition on a high note! Between 19 and 27 November 2022, the EWWR accounted for over 16 000 actions, 15 of which will be nominated as finalists for the awards and 6 best actions will be rewarded for their impact and originality. During the Ceremony, you will also have the opportunity to meet the best 5 actions awarded by the sister campaign: the Euro-Med Weeks for Waste Reduction. Come and get inspired!
- 09:30 Opening of the ceremony
- 10:00 Presentation of euro-med weeks for waste reduction winners
- 10:30 Winners' reveal
- Public Administration – awarded by Luca Menesini – Committee of the Regions
- Business/Industry – awarded by Julia Blees - EuRIC
- Association/NGO – awarded by Andrea Gonzáles – European Environmental Bureau
- 11:05 Break and chat
- 11:20 Winners' reveal
- Educational establishment – awarded by Noelia Cantero - European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning
- Citizen(s) – awarded by Franc Bogovic – European Parliament
- European Special Prize – awarded by European Commission (tbd)
- The best action for the EWWR audience – awarded by Dublin City (tbd)
- 12:10 Closing of the ceremony
- 12:30 Lunch
- All participants are invited to join the lunch before starting the visit of the Bloom Festival (Phoenix Park) by a private bus.