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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

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

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

Transportation and Logistics

Societal Services

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


Construction and Infrastructure

Designing products so they use as little materials, water, energy, etc. as possible during use

Design for resource efficiency

Biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste can be used as an energy source for cooking, lighting and generate electricity, replacing thus other fuels. Moreover, the treatment of organic waste alleviates the solid waste crisis in urban and peri-urban area if the developing world.


Use biogas

Locally produced food has to travel shorter, which means less fuel is consumed and less greenhouse gases are generated. Moreover, buying locally produced food helps local farmers and markets and creates more jobs in the local businesses. 


Produce locally

Other

Roadmaps and strategies and targets

Compact city development

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

The demand for transport is rising globally—but current modes are heavily material- and fossil-fuels-intensive. Emissions from the transport system could grow by 60% by 2050, and transport is the number-one user of oil worldwide. GHG emissions result not only in warming global temperatures, but also in ocean acidification, which has severe consequences for entire ecosystems and further destabilises our climate. The transport system also drives land-use change and biodiversity loss through the development of infrastructure—also releasing harmful pollutants into the ocean. Key circular solutions:

- Embrace and enable car-free lifestyles
- Invest in high-quality public transport
- Rethink unnecessary air travel
- Electrify remaining vehicles

🚌 Mobility Systems

Governments

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

Policies

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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

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

SummaryThrough a comprehensive multi-stakeholder consultation process, the Urban-LEDS 
City of Bogor reviewed its existing spatial planning frameworks and integrated low 

emissions development (LEDS) principles into its 5-year mid-term Development Plan 

(RPJMD). The RPJMD, which speaks to Bogor's determination to strategically implement 

LEDS, prioritizes: introducing integrated low-emission transportation systems that 
emphasize pedestrians and cyclists; establishing city-wide waste management 
schemes and facilities; the development of green building standards to accelerate 
the use of low emission development technologies, materials, and design strategies; 
improving spatial planning and urban development projects to reduce vulnerability 
to climate-related risks; and enhancing  accessibility and user-friendliness of urban 

facilities in general, in order to improve overall quality of life.
Conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) proved to be a helpful policy 
tool for the process of integrating LEDS principles and activities into the city™s 5-year 

development planning, and doing so in a participatory manner. 
Bogor™s key achievements through the Urban-LEDS project included the collaborative 
elaboration of the above-mentioned planning documents (the SEA and 5-year 

Development Plan that incorporated LED principles and activities as well as budgeting 




development principles. 
From 'Rain City' to Low Emission Development ChampionBogor, formerly known as Buitenzorg, is located inland in a mountainous region of 
West Java, 60 kilometers south of Jakarta. The city is home to just over one million 




center, and has since reinvented itself as a tourism hub with a wealth of historical and 
cultural heritage. For centuries, Bogor has been known as "the Rain City" because of 

frequent precipitation, including during the dry season. 
Bogor is among the fastest growing cities in Indonesia due to its strategic location 
neighboring the capital. As a rapidly urbanizing city, Bogor faces numerous challenges, 

including controlling urban sprawl and the rapid deployment of infrastructure and 








Bogor, IndonesiaEmbedding a low emissions approach into the municipal 5-year development planPopulation / Land area
1,220,000 (2013) / 118.5 km²  
Municipal budget 

USD 11.8 Million (2014)
Greenhouse gas inventory Yes, since 2014
ICLEI Case Studies186March 2016Facts & Figures2services to keep pace with population growth. Other major challenges facing the city 
include:
walking, cycling and public transportation options
 Providing a city-wide waste management scheme and evenly distributed collection 
facilities Discordant building standards with no common set of green building guidelines
 No recent urban spatial planning framework to account for urban growth and 

ensure cross-sectoral low emission development (LED) planning



years. Through the Urban-LEDS project, the Model City of Bogor has set itself on a 

low-emission trajectory through prudent urban planning to guarantee long-term 

sustainable development. 
Data-driven priority setting: Bogor™s GHG performance inventory 
At the onset of the Urban-LEDS project, Bogor had a clear vision to become an 

environmentally friendly city. Prior to revising the City™s urban planning framework, 







following page), reveals that the majority of the city™s community-scale to
tal emissions 
of 2,632,687 tons CO2e result from the transportation, residential and manufacturing 
sectors. Photo 1: Bogor City is situated in the shadow of a giant, the dormant Gunung Salak volcano 
3Leveraging existing policies for low-carbon planning   
been an avid supporter of the city™s transition towards a green economy using a low-

emission development approach.  In his inauguration speech, he shared his vision to 


was the vanguard of the Mayor™s inaugural agenda. 
Key national policies supported the expedition of this priority, namely the Indonesian 


Regent, or Mayor shall conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a basis 

to develop their long-term and mid-term development plan, in order to reduce the 


Stakeholder engagement for the Strategic Environmental Assessment




design Bogor's Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) for the RPJMD. Key local and 


environmental assessment data collection, stakeholder mapping and simple 

guidance for data analysis. 
 Ministry of Environment and Forestry: Environment and Forestry were mandated 
to assess strategic issues including climate mitigation and adaptation in the 
strategic environmental assessment for the RPJMD. Furthermore, this Ministry 

provides the linkage between national and local SEA elaborations.


leadership and support to the working group on incorporating the LEDS principle 

and climate mitigation action into the RPJMD. 
Graph 1: Bogor's municipal GHG 
inventory, broken down by sector. 
Total: 2,632,687 tons CO
2e 
4 City of Bogor, Planning Agency: As the main focal point and the leader of the 


relevant working units. Additionally, as a of member of the municipal budgeting 

committee, the Planning Agency was able to ensure that LEDS activities were 

advocated for. 


on, and develops clear analysis for, emission factors. 

selling and using to develop analysis model on emission in transportation sector.
 Perusahaan Listrik Negara: The state-owned electricity enterprise provides data 

on electricity using on develop analysis models on emissions in building and 

residential sector.
decision-making framework to ensure the inclusion of LED and resilience into urban 
policies and plans. Although the SEA is recognized as an important urban planning and 
policy instrument at the national and sub-national levels, the majority of Indonesian 

local governments lack the capacity to implement a SEA. Under the Urban-LEDS project, the City collaborated with the Danish Embassy for 
International Development Cooperation under the Indonesian-Danish Environmental 

Support Program (Danida ESP3 Program). This Cooperation works closely with the 

Indonesian Ministry of Environment to help cities and local governments develop 
their SEA. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through unit member Professor 


the linkage between national and local SEA elaboration. 
 Photo 2: The SEA multi-stakeholder 
working group hard at work. 
5Pinpointing Priorities & Analyzing Outcomes






were developed in previous focus-group discussions.  

and interviews in parallel with the workshops to collect baseline information and data. 

Once baseline information was gathered in collaboration with a SEA consultant, the 
City working group conducted a coordinated exercise to verify the information and 
enhance the data quality.  This was performed in cooperation with all stakeholders 

relevant to reducing municipal emissions, including the City Planning Agency, 





data collected from municipal reports, documents, other academic publications, and 


After compiling the results from this analysis, the ICLEI project team conducted a 
workshop with the City™s working group to verify the research results and facilitate a 

discussion among all stakeholders. 
Budget and Financing

by the European Commission, funding was made available for training, capacity 

building, and the dissemination of documented information, with the overall aim of 

making Bogor a ﬁModel Cityﬂ for low emission urban development.



exchanges with Indonesian, South African, Brazilian, Indian and European cities.
Photo 3: Urban nature in the Rain City6ResultsBy combining the expertise of technical departments and keeping the political 
dimension involved, the project ensured that the LED priorities were incorporated 



750 Million IDR (ca. USD 57,000) each year until 2019 for climate mitigation and 

adaptation activities. Some interventions have already been implemented, including: 
the non-motorized transport program; energy saving measures undertaken by 
passing a memorandum concerning the regulated use of air-conditioners; and a city 
government-owned bus running on cooking oil which is used to transport employees; 

government strongly adheres to LEDS principles and recognizes the importance of 

implementing demonstration projects. 



to the Mayor, and became the initial framework document for discussions led by 

municipal urban development consultative body, the Musrembang.
Table 1: 
LED actions and initiatives which impacted Bogor's 5-year PlanPolicy Mission Number 3 of the City, 2014, includes: introduction of integrated low-
emission transportation systems that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists; 
 5-Year Development Plan (RPJMD), 2014: transforming the city™s urban 
development through a low emission development strategy and strengthening 
the city™s adaptive capacity to climate change related risks
 City Regulation on Waste Management, 2016: strengthening the City's capacity 
to operate a sustainable waste management system based on the reduce, reuse 
and recycle method Regulation Incorporation of low carbon initiatives into the Bogor City Government™s 2015 budget
 Formulation of  the ﬁMayoral Decreeﬂ identifying 7 practical LED steps to be 

implemented (still in progress as of August 2016)










such as turning lamps off during the daytime and not using air conditioning 

before 11 AM
 The City™s Sustainable Building Standard, comprising Mayoral Decree and 
technical guidelines (still in progress as of August 2016).
Fiscal Budget allocation for GHG Inventory every year from 2015 to 2019
 Budget allocation for Bus Rapid Transit corridor 

Governance Mayor Decree on the establishment of an LED Working Group to coordinate 

climate change mitigation efforts across municipal departments.
Stakeholder engagment 
 Public consultation for Musrembang stakeholders included: Ciliwung merdeka, 
Kota Pusaka, P4W, Bike to Work, Pertamina, Hiswanamigas, Paguyupan 
Kampung Tengah, Telapak,  Satu Dunia
 Stakeholders involved in multi-sectoral focus group discussions: Ciliwung 
merdeka, Kota Pusaka, P4W, Bike to Work, Pertamina, Hiswanamigas, 

Paguyupan Kampung Tengah, Telapak,  Satu Dunia
Raising awareness
 The engagement of staff for the SEA process and the RPJMD increased 


and other low emission development principles
7Lessons Learned 
urban LEDS in the city™s 5-year Development Plan was not realized overnight. Several 



 
enabling environment for data sharing and introduce changes to the status quo. 
 The joint collaboration between the Danish and Indonesian Ministries to conduct 





the Regional Planning Board with integrating Bogor's previous urban development 
plans with the new Low Emission Development plan. Additionally, a designated 




and adaptation action plan. 
 Political commitment and mandate for inter-departmental coordination is key. 
Recognizing that urban development is a cross-cutting concern, the Mayor enacted a 
decree to establish an Urban-LEDS working group as a coordinating body to facilitate 

inter-departmental cooperation. Because Bogor has been host to the Indonesian 



environmental policies as a result of data-driven priority setting. The Mayor™s 

leadership resulted in a strong wave of international support from organizations and 

networks such as ICLEI, further stimulating Bogor to pursue environmentally sound 


for management of climate-related disasters.Photo 4: The Presidential Palace in Bogor is home to the Indonesian President's Office
"2013 to 2015 were 
milestone years for Bogor 
in improving the city™s low emission development strategy. We have a strong commitment and good planning to continue and improve the 
implementation of LEDS 
in Bogor as part of the support to the Indonesian 
national emission reduction 
commitmentﬂ.- Mayor Bima Arya 






street lighting to light-emitting diodes (LEDs), as well as replacing the traditional light 
bulbs with LEDs in heritage buildings. 
Replication The processes used by the City of Bogor are relevant to other local governments 

government departments and energy suppliers by involving the Mayor and senior 
managers in the early stages of Urban-LEDS should be emulated wherever possible. 
Performing an emissions analysis and Strategic Environmental Assessment are steps 
which can be followed by other Indonesian city governments wanting to include low 

carbon options in their development planning, providing that funding is available. 
Further Reading About the Urban-LEDS ProjectKey ContactsBogor City Government  
Mayor Bima Arya

http://bappeda.kotabogor.go.id
Komplek Rasuna Epicentrum
Jl. Taman Rasuna Selatan, 
KuninganDKI Jakarta, 12960Indonesia
iclei-indonesia@iclei.orgICLEI World Secretariat (WS)
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 7
53113 Bonn, Germany

Tel. +49-228 / 97 62 99-00

Fax +49-228 / 97 62 99-01urban-leds@iclei.orghttp://urbanleds.iclei.org/Acknowledgements Author: Irvan Palungan; Country Manager, Indonesia; 

ICLEI Southeast Asia
Editors: Lucy Price, Low Carbon Cities & Michael 

Woodbridge, Urban Research, 

ICLEI World Secretariat
Photographs: All photos 
property of Bogor City Government or ICLEIThis series of local case studies is produced within the Urban-LEDS project funded 

objective of enhancing and the transition to low emission urban development in 
emerging economy countries.They represent solely the views of the authors and cannot in any circumstances be 
The Urban-LEDS project, funded by the European 


ICLEI, has the objective of enhancing the transition 

to low emission urban development in emerging 

economy countries. Selected local governments in Brazil, India, 
Indonesia and South Africa a comprehensive 



methodology) to integrate low-carbon strategies 

into all sectors of urban planning and development.


Bogor Regency

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City government of Bogor

ICLEI

Following a comprehensive multi-stakeholder consultation effort, the Urban- LEDS City of Bogor reviewed its existing spatial planning frameworks and strategically integrated low emission development into its 5-year Development Plan. A comprehensive Strategic Environment Assessment also increased awareness and efforts across the city government for energy efficiency and other low emissions development working areas.The&nbsp;5-year mid-term Development Plan (RPJMD), which speaks to Bogor's determination to strategically implement LEDS, prioritizes: introducing integrated low-emission transportation systems that emphasize pedestrians and cyclists; establishing city-wide waste management schemes and facilities; the development of green building standards to accelerate the use of low emission development technologies, materials, and design strategies; improving spatial planning and urban development projects to reduce vulnerability to climate-related risks; and enhancing accessibility and user-friendliness of urban facilities in general, in order to improve overall quality of life.

Low Emissions Development Plan - Bogor

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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 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

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

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

Reduce Energy Consumption

Providing water and sewage services, including water collection and distribution, water treatment systems and sewage treatment facilities

Water and Sewage

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

Use waste as a resource

Recover waste energy or generate fuels and energy from waste streams

Energy recovery from waste

Recovering and reusing waste heat, gas, etc. for energy

Recovery and reuse of waste energy

Wastewater (blackwater and water from industrial processes) can be treated and reclaimed for agricultural and industrial purposes. Moreover, depending on economic factors, wastewater treatments can be adopted for supplying domestic freshwater. 

Use wastewater

'Manage' influences the use and function of physical and material elements within the urban environment. 

Manage

Infrastructure

Develop infrastructure to support resource cycling

Eliminate waste by maximizing the recovery of resources at the end of the use phase so that they can be reintroduced into production processes


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Recover

Process waste into valuable industrial inputs or consumer products; distribute processed waste to users.

Process waste and ensure its re-entry into industry at its highest value

Residual organic and food wastes can offer a quasi-renewable and low-carbon source of energy. By processing organic wastes, often under high temperatures, pressures and in the absence of oxygen, organic wastes can be transformed into fuels, which can be used for heating, electricity generation, as well as transportation. A variety of technologies have been developed to generate biogas from organic materials, for example, anaerobic digestion. Such facilities can vary in scale from single units that can process the waste of a single building or neighbourhood, to large-scale facilities that can process the majority of the organic wastes generated from the entire city. 

Cities have a key role to support the utilisation of organic materials as biofuels due to their close oversight and influence on the urban waste management system. In particular, cities can support the financing of large-scale facilities to help to overcome the investment costs, as well as develop relationships with businesses to operate such facilities. 


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🍏  💧  Biogas from organic materials

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

SummaryThe City Council of Almada provides wastewater treatment service that accounts 
for almost 100 percent of wastewater within the city. This is a result of a municipal 

strategy which aims to achieve full coverage of the drainage networks and treatment 

systems within Almada™s territory; a goal towards which the City Council has allocated 


The Portinho da Costa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the subject of this case 
study, demonstrates the City Council of Almada™s commitment to ensuring that water 
circulates within closed loops in the municipality. A closed loop water cycle not only 
allows for repeated use of water resources, it also contributes to the preservation of 

biodiversity in the Tagus estuary, which provides numerous ecological functions and 



WWTP is connected to one of the three municipal wastewater drainage systems, and 

serves approximately 80,000 inhabitants across the territories of Costa de Caparica, 

Trafaria and part of Caparica. 
This case study documents the recovery of the biogas generated in the wastewater 
treatment process and highlights its importance within the framework of the Local 

Strategy for Climate Change of the Municipality of Almada.
Introduction: the importance of biogas recovery Anaerobic digestion is being increasingly used in wastewater treatment systems. The 

main goal of this process is the stabilisation of the primary and secondary sludge 

resulting from the treatment, rather than the production and use of biogas. Typically, 



considered a useful energy by-product that can be harnessed. 

that if all the worlds organic waste which is processed through anaerobic digestion 

the result would be the savings of approximately 5 percent of global fossil energy.
The potential energy recovery with this technique is considerable and can be utilized 
in any WWTP equipped with anaerobic digesters for the treatment of sludge. However, 

considering biogas conservation during the project planning phase provides greater  







which recovers energy from biogas, represents integrated local action which progresses 


Almada, PortugalRecovering energy from biogas produced  in wastewater treatment plantsPopulation / Land area
174 030 (2011) / 72 km²  
Municipal budget 
77,5 M• (2015)Greenhouse gas inventory Yes, since 2003
ICLEI Case Studies189March 2016Facts & FiguresAlmada has been a member of 

ICLEI since 20012Biogas is suitable for use within energy conversion equipment such as power units 
(motor + generator), cogeneration units for heat (thermal energy) and electricity 

output, and even boilers for hot water and/or steam production. The possibility of 

producing and internally using biogas in the WWTP as a "free" fuel, which also serves 

to reduce GHG emissions, proved to be enough evidence to justify the technical, 

(SMAS) have invested in the design and construction of the Portinho da Costa WWTP.
Almada: between land and seaLocated on the south bank of the Tagus River across from Lisbon, Almada is one of the 
18 municipalities within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The municipality has 175,000 

full-time residents and an estimated 8,000,000 visitors per year. It occupies a surface 

of 72 km2, 40 percent of which is built up urban area and 24.2 percent is a lush forested 


to the east and north lay the Tagus River, while to the west lays the Atlantic Ocean. 
Almada™s Atlantic Ocean beachfront, Costa de Caparica, extends for approximately 13 km and is a popular summertime destination for Lisbon residents as well as foreign 
visitors.The Almada City Council has long been developing policies and strategies towards a 
more sustainable city. The Local Strategy for Climate Change of the Municipality of 
Almada contains a number of actions targeted at reducing the energy consumption 




been technically supported by the Local Energy Management Agency of Almada, 





sustainble investemnts within the municipality.
Along these lines, the City Council of Almada has been a signatory of the Covenant 
Photo: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Photo 1: A cogeneration engine at 
Portinho da Costa WWTP3of Mayors since its inception, and has embraced the challenge of reducing its energy 
consumption and GHG emissions by 20 percent as a contribution to the EU common 

3x20 objectives.
Most recently, Almada subscribed to the Paris City Hall Declaration during the COP 
21 and embraced the ambitious commitment of reducing its emissions 80 percent by 

2050.Planning in Ten Year Intervals
Every 10 years, the Municipality of Almada approves an updated local development 

strategy, and water and wastewater management have factored heavily in many of 


 1960™s - First Plans made for the wastewater drainage network and water supply 
network. 1980™s Œ Plan & construction of the wastewater drainage network; construction 
and renovation of the water supply network 
 1990™s Œ Plan & construction of wastewater treatment plants
 2000™s Œ 100% urban water cycle coveraage
 2010™s

water and wastewater systems to climate change.
Almada™s Strategic Plan also includes guidelines and actions for its wastewater 


 Pollution prevention and assets management, with the use of technology for 
intensive measuring and monitoring Œ in parallel with sewer rehabilitation Œ to 


 Pollution reduction, through adaptation of older WWTP™s to current EU regulations Sludge valorization, through biogas energy recovery and re-application to 

agricultural lands  
 

treatment System within the municipality, as indicated in Table 1. The plan also 

includes targets for the development of sustainable urban drainage solutions, 

including harvest and retention of rainwater.
Measures towards the 2033 targets have already been implemented to address the 





ballasts) to minimize energy consumption. Biogas recovery through cogeneration has 

been implemented to maximize energy production and minimize external energy 

dependence. Physical-chemical treatment plus biological treatments ensure process 


Table 1:  Almada™s Strategic Plan 
targets for 2017/2033Performance indicators and targets2011
20172033
3/km)660060002000Sewer rehabilitation (% of total)
0.1%0.5%2%Energy optimization in pumping stations (kWh/m
3 100m)0.650.450.35Reclaimed wastewater (%)
2.36%3.5%10%Regulation compliance (%)
89%100%100%4Further additional measures are already being explored, including maximizing use of 
renewable resources through installation of solar panels and photovoltaic panels, as 

well as WWTP 8-year energy auditing programs to reduce electric energy consumption. 


lighting, energy management tools and professional training.
Explaining the Initiative:Energy in Portinho da Costa WWTP 
Portinho da Costa WWTP produces energy which corresponds to that which is used in 
the treatment of the sludge and electricity consumed it the various processes. Since 

its inception, the project foresaw the potential of supplying these energy needs by 
installing a cogeneration system powered by the biogas produced within the same 
WWTP.Biogas stems from the digestion of the sludge originated in the primary and secondary 
treatment of wastewater. Sludge, which is mainly formed by the organic matter of the 
initial sewage, is the ideal substrate for the application of a treatment process known 
as anaerobic digestion (biological degradation in the absence of oxygen). This process 

results in the production of biogas, a form of renewable energy, essentially consisting 
of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO
2), which may be used as fuel.
Graph 1: Annual community energy 
use in Almada as of 2012 by sector 

(MJ/year)Graph 2: Annual community 

emissions in Almada as of 2012 by 

sector (tonnes CO2eq)5Biogas from Portinho da Costa WWTP: a noble renew-able energy
the methods that allow for recovering 

waste should be considered in all cases, as 
they combine energy generation with an 


used for energy production, biogas which 


to this group.The importance of biogas as an energy 
resource is due to its main constituent, 

methane. This compound has a high heating 
value, which makes it a very valuable utility 

for the cogeneration of thermal energy and 

electricity. However, its direct release to the 
atmosphere is harmful, since methane has a 
global warming potential approximately 21 
times higher than that of carbon dioxide.
Biogas composition varies according to 
the waste characteristics and operating 
conditions of the digestion process. On 

average, it is 60 percent methane (CH4) 

and 40 percent carbon dioxide (CO2). Other gases such as nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen 

sulphide (H2S) are also present in the 

composition, but only in trace amounts. The 

laboratory analysis of the biogas produced 
at the Portinho da Costa WWTP displays a 
percentage of over 65 percent methane.
While, in absolute terms, biogas energy is a lower grade of energy than most of 

into other forms), the fact that it is both a by-product and renewable makes its use 



used, it is always possible to produce at least one form of energy, be it electrical, 

thermal or mechanical.The cogeneration system of Portinho da Costa WWTPThe cogeneration system of Portinho da Costa WWTP consists of two power units 

(motors and alternators) that feed on the biogas stored in two double membrane 


The power units (2 x 250 kW) allow for converting approximately 33 percent of the 
energy contained in the biogas into electricity. About 60 percent of its energy is 


from the thermal energy present in the exhaust gases and engine cooling circuits. The 

loss of energy in the co-generation process amounts to just 7 percent.
Figure 1: Energy equivalence of 
biogas with 70% methaneFigure 2: Diagram of the Portinho da 

Costa WWTP cogeneration system
6Portinho da Costa WWTP: an ecological WWTP that turns waste into 
energyThe co-generation system of Portinho da Costa covers about 40 percent of the energy 
needs of the facility, equivalent to about 550 MWh per year. In environmental terms, 

these energy savings translate into a decrease of 40 percent of GHG emissions, which in 

absolute terms represents a reduction of 180 tons of CO
2. In addition to the reduction 
of emissions due to the displacement of 

the use of natural gas and electricity, this 

measure also decreases the amount of 
carbon dioxide equivalent that would 
otherwise be released from the disposal 


This is, therefore, a significant 
contribution from the Almada SMAS to 



reduce GHG emissions which originate 
within the municipality. 
The construction of the Portinho da Costa 
WWTP ensures the additional treatment of 24 percent of the wastewater in 
the Municipality of Almada without 
increasing emissions from the waste 
sector. This performance is due to the fact that the design of this facility provided for 

a cogeneration system to convert biogas into thermal and electric energy. 
The wastewater treatment process of Portinho da Costa WWTP 
Portinho da Costa WWTP receives a daily average rate of around 9 500 m
3 (3 467 500 m3/year). The treatment encompasses a solid phase process and a liquid phase 

followed by an advanced physical-chemical treatment (the primary treatment). This 





25m deep and 150m from the bank of the Tagus River. 
In the solid phase, the sludge resulting from the primary and secondary treatment 
of the wastewater is thickened by gravity. In the next step, this thickened sludge 

undergoes a digestion in a mesophilic regime (35°C temperature), using the heat 
generated by the cogeneration engines to maintain an operating temperature that 
maximizes the generation of methane.
The digested sludge is then dehydrated by centrifugation, stored in silos and used 




higher than 96%), produces biogas, repurposes the sludge as agricultural fertilizer, 
and reuses the treated wastewater for washing and watering green spaces.
Photo 2: Primary treatment of sludge 
at Portinho da Costa WWTPPortinho da Costa WWTP design parameters
Project lifetime [3]2020Population served [3]140.000 inhabitants equivalent
Tratment capacity [3]
22.400 m
3/day
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5-days 
(BOD5): 96%Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): 97%

Total Suspended Solids (TSS): 97%
Anaerobic digestion design parameters
Biogas storage capacity
2 x 200 m3Cogeneration design parametersElectricity production capacity
2 x 250 kWClimate change mitigation
Potential greenhouse gas emissions 
reduction687 t CO2/yearTable 3: Technical characteristics of 

the Portinho da Costa WWTPFigure 3: Energy balance of the 

Portino da Costa cogeneration plant7Lessons Learned Municipalities should consider energy recapture and cogeneration at the draft 
stage of constructing new facilities in order to ease their physical integration in the 

wastewater treatment plant and its operation.
 




community associated with this measure.
 
the possibility of harnessing the biogas energy generated in the anaerobic digestion 

process, and included this as a requirement in the public procurement procedure 

to select the design of the treatment plant.
 Process control, close monitoring, and planned maintenance can help to ensure 

continued good performance of the system and delivery of expected savings and 



essential.Replication The technology used in the Portinho da Costa WWTP is all commercially available and 

poses no obstacles to use. Existing WWTP™s that already have anaerobic digestion in 
place to treat sludge, but which are not yet harnessing the energy potential of biogas, 
can potentially replicate elements of the Almada model. 
The key issue to bear in mind in the implementation of such a project is that the 

of in-house expert knowledge and expertise allows for identifying the needs and 
opportunities for energy recovery of waste, or a by-product of the wastewater 
treatment process.Energy carrierConsumption prior to cogeneration              

(MWh/year)Consumption with 
co-generation 
(projections for 2020) 
(MWh/year)Energy savings 
(MWh/year)Energy savings (%)Electricity1,778967811
46Natural gas1,282511,23196Total
3,0601,0182,04267Policy  Long-term municipal strategy and action plan for water and wastewater, and a long-standing committment to 


Finance 
 Funding was provided through grants
Organizational arrangements and 

capacity  Technical support was provided by Local Energy 
Management Agency of Almada, AGENEAL, and Almada™s 

Water and Sanitation Municipal Services, (SMAS Almada)
Stakeholder engagement  Harnessing of energy from the biogas was included as 
a requirement in the public procurement procedure to 

award the design of the treatment plant
Technology
 Anaerobic digestion for biogas production coupled with 

electricity and heat cogeneration
Table 4: Projected potential energy 
savings enabled by the cogeneration 

plant when fully operational (2020)
Table 5: Key features of Almada's 
approach to the Portinho da Costa 

WWTPHarnessing biogas reduces operating costs with the acquisition of energy while it also 
avoids GHG emissions. The major costs towards such a WWTP are those associated 
with the acquisition and installation of equipment, which are recoverable within its life 




Costs and FundingThe investment in Portinho da Costa WWTP was approximately 10 million Euros. 

Funding was secured through grants from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and 

EEA Grants. The use of biogas for cogeneration enables operational cost savings through the 
displacement of natural gas and grid electricity consumption, which in 2011 amounted 


(changed from 6% to 23%), the savings associated with energy amount to at least 

60.000•/year.References[1] Estratégia Local para as Alteracoes Climáticas, Sector Resíduos, Medida ME8 Œ 
Energias Renováveis: aproveitamento de recursos endógenos Œ Cogeracao a biogás em 

ETARs Municipais
[2] Almada Wastewater Drainage and Treatment System - WWTP Portinho da Costa, 
Alexandra Sousa, Waste Water Treatment Department, Water and Sanitation Municipal 


[3] http://www.smasalmada.pt/web/portal/etar-do-portinho-da-costa 
Key ContactsCâmara Municipal de Almada
City Council of Almada

Department for Energy, 

Climate, Environment and 
MobilityRua Bernardo Francisco da Costa, 42, 2800-029 Almada, 

Portugal
Tel. +351 21 272 25 10
Email: almada21@cma.m-almada.ptAcknowledgements Authors: Catarina Freitas 
 Câmara Municipal de Almada, 
Departamento de Energia, 

Clima, Ambiente e Mobilidade 

| City Council of Almada, 

Department for Energy, 

Climate, Environment and 

MobilityAlexandra Sousa
 Serviços Municipalizados 
de Água e Saneamento 
de Almada, Departamento 

de Tratamento de Águas 

Residuais | Municipal Water 

and Wastewater Services 

of Almada, Department of 

Wastewater Treatment
Carlos Sousa 
 Agência Municipal de Energia 

de Almada, AGENEAL | Local 
Energy Management Agency 
of Almada, AGENEALEditors: Ana Marques, Senior 




Research, ICLEI World 

SecretariatTranslator: Diana Mota
This series of local case studies is produced within the Urban-LEDS project funded 
by the European Union, and implemented by UN-Habitat and ICLEI, which has the objective of enhancing and the transition to low emission urban development in 
emerging economy countries.They represent solely the views of the authors and cannot in any circumstances be 

Almada

Municipality of Almada

Almada, Portugal, is paving the way towards a carbon-efficient urban water cycle. As a coastal city, progressive water and wastewater management is a priority for the City Council of Almada. The construction of the Portinho da Costa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) represents a circular model of wastewater treatment that includes a closed-loop water cycle and a system of biogas energy recovery.&nbsp;

Almada's integrated wastewater treatment 

Article / Report

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

Social Impact

Providing specialist services to support consumers, businesses, andgovernments

Professional Services

Providing public and private education and support services at any level or for any profession, and governmental and public administration services, including judicial, regulatory, and legislative activities, taxation, defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and the administration of government programmes

Education and Government Services

Operating networks and software that enable the exchange and broadcasting of information, such as entertainment and internet software, television, cable, satellite or radio broadcasting systems, and cellular, wireless and/or fixed-line telecommunications services

Software and Communications

Providing various support services for businesses and governments, such as research, testing, certification and consulting services, cleaning and maintenance services, security and protection services, legal, accounting and bookkeeping services, information management, data processing, and business process outsourcing services

Research & Commercial Services

Use digital, online platforms and technologies that provide insights to track and optimise resource use, strengthen connections between supply chain actors, and enable the implementation of circular models



Incorporate digital technology

'Inform' increases the overall levels of awareness and builds the necessary skills and knowledge around the circular economy to foster long-term change.

Inform

Implement innovation programmes

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

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Rethink

Circular development in the world’s cities will be essential in achieving global climate goals. 45% of emissions come from how we make and use products, and how we produce food. The circular economy provides a framework for using resources differently, allowing us to better operate within the confines of the planet. However, a report by Circle Economy earlier this year found that our global economy has become less circular since 2018, indicating that we are heading in the wrong direction. ‍The principles of a circular economy are thus highly relevant to cities, yet for many this is a new topic that at first is not easy to relate to city functions. Since 2015, Circle Economy’s Cities Programme has worked with over 20 cities to develop well-informed circular economy strategies based on material flow data and the local socio-economic context. To allow more cities to conduct these assessments, the process is being digitised in the form of an open-access online tool called the “Circle City Scan Tool”.‍The Circle City Scan Tool aims to allow any local government or city change agent to identify and prioritise circular opportunities for their city or region, based on socioeconomic and material flow data about their context. The tool has been developed in its prototype version by Circle Economy with support from the MAVA Foundation.‍To ensure the tool can be adapted to fit different regional contexts and addresses the practical needs of cities, ICLEI experts will be testing the tool with 10 pilot cities from 3 world regions (see full list below) and will provide recommendations for improvements to the tool based on their long-standing expertise working with local governments on local sustainability plans and circular economy projects. ‍The ten cities participating in the pilot include:1. Accra, Ghana 2. Cape Town, South Africa 3. Nairobi, Kenya 4. Rabat, Morocco 5. Batangas, Philippines 6. Bogor City, Indonesia 7. Bogor Regency, Indonesia 8. Quezon, Philippines 9. Bonn, Germany10. Turku, Finland ‍“We are excited to be testing the Circle City Scan Tool to identify priorities for the circular economy transition that complements Batangas City's ambition to be a liveable green city vis-a-vis being a premium agro and highly industrialised city. There is a pressing need to strike a balance between being eco-friendly and safe and urbanisation.” says Mayor Beverley Rose A. Dimacuha from Batangas City, one of the 10 pilot cities.ICLEI experts will guide the pilot cities through the tool, support data collection and stakeholders engagement. The analysis will provide the pilot cities with an overview of how much of the materials flowing through their jurisdiction are consumed and wasted, and where they can intervene to shift their economies toward circularity.‍“The Circle City Scan Tool will enable us to learn more about the circular economy and further advance our environmental sustainability initiatives” says Ms. Andrea Valentine A. Villaroman from the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department of Quezon, one of the pilot cities.“Through the piloting of the Circle City Scan Tool we aim at identifying additional, more qualitative features that could be integrated into the platform to make it as collaborative and inclusive as possible, in line with how we frame Circular Development across our network.” Burcu Tuncer, Head of Circular Development at ICLEI World Secretariat. Circle Economy and ICLEI will work together to incorporate these additional features and resources to complement the tool in the lead up to the ICLEI World Congress 2021.“This exciting collaboration with ICLEI will provide valuable insights into cities’ circular economy needs, which will help to strengthen the tool and make it more useful to a wider range of cities. In time, we hope that the tool will help ICLEI’s regional offices to guide many more cities on their journey toward circularity, creating positive impact at a global scale.” Blake Robinson, Senior Strategist at Circle Economy ‍If your city needs guidance on its transition to a circular economy, please let us know what kind of help you need via this 15 min survey.--About ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: ICLEI is a global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 100+ countries, ICLEI influences sustainability policy and drives local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI's Members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability.About Circle Economy: Circle Economy is an Amsterdam-based impact organisation that connects and empowers a global community to create the conditions for systemic transformation toward a circular economy. Their Cities Programme works with businesses, cities and governments to identify opportunities for transition, and provides a powerful combination of practical and scalable solutions to turn these opportunities into reality. Circle Economy has helped over 20 cities on their journey toward a circular economy.

  Accra, GhanaBatangas, PhilippinesBogor City, IndonesiaBogor Regency, IndonesiaBonn, GermanyCape Town, South AfricaNairobi, KenyaQuezon, PhilippinesRabat, MoroccoTurku, Finland  

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Accra

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Cape Town

Batangas

Quezon City

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Rabat

Turku

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Nairobi

Germany

OUR MISSION IS TO ACCELERATE THE PRACTICAL AND SCALABLE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

At Circle Economy, we believe in a visionary future for our planet — one in which we do not have to compromise in order to achieve economic, social, and environmental prosperity. As an impact organisation, we connect and empower a global community to create the conditions for systemic transformation. With nature as our mentor, we work alongside businesses, cities and governments to identify opportunities to make the transition to the circular economy, and provide a powerful combination of practical and scalable solutions to turn these opportunities into reality.
‍
Our mission is to empower a global community of businesses, cities and governments to accelerate the transition to the circular economy through practical and scalable insights and solutions that address humanity’s greatest challenges.

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Circle Economy

ICLEI experts are guiding 10 pilot cities in developing circular economy strategies using the Circle City Scan Tool, an online tool developed by Circle Economy to enable local governments and city change agents to identify and prioritise circular opportunities in their city or region. The ten participating cities are Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Rabat, Morocco; Batangas, Philippines; Bogor City, Indonesia; Bogor Regency, Indonesia; Quezon, Philippines; Bonn, Germany; and Turku, Finland.

Circle City Scan Tool Pilots: Piloting a circular economy opportunity discovery tool in 10 cities around the world

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

Engage with the government on circular policies and programmes

Government collaboration

Advocate for circular change

The Circular Cities Declaration is a commitment document from cities and regions to use the levers at our disposal coherently across the organisation to transition from a linear to a circular economy. We believe that:We need to decouple economic growth from resource useLocal and regional governments have a critical role to playA common vision of a circular economy is a useful journey guidanceThe City of Helsinki, one of the first signatories of the Circular Cities Declaration, approved its Roadmap for Circular and Sharing Economy in May 2020. The roadmap sets up goals for circularity in four central focus areas.  Learn moreLjubljana is convinced that the shift from a linear to a circular economy has a significant impact not only on production, but also on the whole social order and mentality. The City is taking a systemic and holistic approach.  Learn moreBeing one of the founding signatories of the Circular Cities Declaration, Oslo's climate ambitions go hand-in-hand with a greener and more circular economy. The City believes reducing their carbon footprint must go into everything.  Learn moreJoin this group of like-minded cities and regions, contributing to the change from a linear to a circular economy. Be a champion and commit to using the levers at our disposal coherently.  Learn more

European Commission

The Circular Cities declaration is a commitment for cities and regions to use the levers at their disposal to transition from a linear to a circular economy. The declaration has been signed by over 30 cities throughout Europe, and brings knowledge experts towards a circular, and more resilient, future.&nbsp;

The Circular Cities Declaration

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

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Turku is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2029 and is using circular economy principles to address GHG emissions in a systemic manner. The Circular Turku project showcases how circularity supports climate action in practice with priority areas in food, water, construction, energy, transport and logistics. This collaboration with ﻿ICLEI&nbsp;ensures the actions identified as part of the roadmap are inclusive, build on community initiatives and create opportunities for all residents. This will offer tangible learnings for other local governments globally and replicable guidelines to incorporate social equity into circular economy planning.