Cities and regions, sharing challenges and objectives towards greener, more inclusive and sustainable societies for all, have a key role to play in the transition to a carbon-neutral and circular economy. They hold core competencies for most policy areas underlying the circular economy such as solid waste, water, the built environment, land use or climate change. Being closer to citizens and businesses and more agile towards innovation and experimentation, local and regional governments can act as promoters, facilitators and enablers of the circular economy.
The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the unsustainable nature of certain environmental and social trends and led to reconsiderations around current production and consumption patterns towards a green recovery. Through more efficient use of resources, eco-design, reuse, repurpose and remanufacturing, the circular economy is an opportunity for a new way of thinking and an example of resilience in the face of future crises.
Objectives of the Conference
The G20 Circular Cities Conference aims to stimulate a reflection on how to accelerate the circular economy transition through coordination across levels of government. In particular, the Conference will aim to respond to the following questions:
- What are the enabling conditions to accelerate the circular economy in cities?
- What are the main obstacles cities are facing in transitioning towards a circular economy?
- How national governments can help further accelerate the transition in cities?