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 (Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.).

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.

More information:

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Agnese Boccalon

 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.

Work in progress

ACR+ latest involvement was in capacity building activities among SMEs in the sector. Similar baseline scenario and behaviour assessment as well as complex screening and mapping exercises were carried out in the field of sports and event management in general. ACR+ is now combining all the acquired intelligence and its expertise to help public authorities tapping into this area to reinforce the implementation of their strategies among the less-obvious industries and occurrences on their territories.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:

• Guidelines for City Managers and Policy Makers to Mainstream Urban Strategies for Waste Management in Tourist Cities
• Improved Environmental management Pilot Test Report - It reports on the implementation of pilot actions to improve the environmental management of sport events by a group of football stadiums across Europe, including training organisations and actors involved in the tests.
• Self-Assessment Tool for Sport Organisations - this tool offers recommendations to equip the sport sector to be an amplifier and an implementer for solid solutions to make a journey towards a greener delivery according to the needs and specificities of each of its members.
• EU Green Week partner event: “Greening sports for achieving participative and contributory circular communities: skills and know-how for getting there

Relevant projects and initiatives

If you want to get involved with our work on the Thematic Area or you have any questions please contact Ernest Kovács (Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.).