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Rampant material extraction is pushing the ecosystems of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to their limits. Over 11% of global raw materials are extracted within the region, yet it represents only about 8% of the world's population.

[*The Circularity Gap Report* (CGR) Latin America and the Caribbean](https://www.circularity-gap.world/lac), a first of its kind, demonstrates how the region can leverage the circular economy to tackle systemic inefficiencies in satisfying societal needs, conserve its unique natural wealth, and improve its people’s well-being.

To devise pathways for a circular transition, the report analysed the sectors where circular interventions could yield the most positive impact—environmentally, economically, and socially. This entails shifting to a circular food system, building a circular built environment, advancing circular manufacturing, transforming the energy system, reducing waste generation, and improve waste cycling.

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities, and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032. Through the Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative, our mission is to deliver Circularity Metrics that measure the state of the global and national economy and identify key levers to transition to circularity. 

Latin America Collection

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Policy case

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

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

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

Transportation and Logistics

Societal Services

Providing air, water, rail, and land transportation for passengers, such as airlines, airports, ferries, cruise-ships, tour boat operators, marine ports, railways, train stations, tour bus operators, vehicle rental, and taxi companies, travel agencies and related services

Passenger Transport Services

Producing transportation equipment for the movement of goods and people by air, rail, sea, and land, including airplanes, spacecraft and military equipment, ships, boats, rail locomotives and rolling stock, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, and related equipment, as well as repair services for such equipment

Transportation Equipment

Converting fossil fuel based operations to electric

Electrification

Using renewable energy like solar, wind, etc. or renewable fuels like biomass, etc.

Renewable energy, fuels

Participating in government programmes that support and advance the circular economy

Government programmes

Other

Develop regenerative infrastructure

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

Businesses

Governments

Cities consume about 75% of global energy and emit between 50% and 60% of global greenhouse gases ([UN-Habitat](https://unhabitat.org/topic/energy)). 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.


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⚡  Harnessing renewable energy from natural processes

The mobility system is a major consumer of fossil fuels. All modes of transportation that consume fossil fuels contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as air and water pollution. Despite growing recognition of electric mobility, global oil demand for transportation (personal and freight vehicles, aircraft, rail and also marine) over the next two decades are expected to exceed demand for the previous two, largely because of projected transportation sector growth in the global south ([APS](https://www.aps.org/policy/reports/popa-reports/energy/transportation.cfm)).

A shift towards sustainable energy sources for transportation is needed to counteract the escalating climate crisis and its threat to our planet's ecosystem and society. Increased electrification and use of low-carbon fuels must be a priority over the next decade to decrease the negative impact of the mobility system. Electrification must be coupled with a decarbonisation electricity system, moving away from power generation from fossil fuels, in order to gain the potential carbon emission reduction benefits. Low-carbon fuels (LCF) such as biodiesel, bioethanol, green hydrogen and renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG), for instance, can also help to lower carbon emissions from transportation.

Local governments can stimulate the use of low-carbon energy throughout the urban mobility system by improving the availability of electric charging infrastructure to help ensure that it can be financially attractive compared to that of fossil fuels. Additionally, cities can transition their own mobility fleet towards electric vehicles or to be powered with low-carbon fuels. The production of such low-carbon fuels can be produced by residual materials that are collected and managed by the municipality (such as developed biofuel from food loss and waste, which can power buses or waste collection vehicles). 


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🚌  Low-carbon energy input for mobility

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

Nace Sectors

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

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

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

  Highlight from Melchior Kanyemesha, Programmanagement + Energy Lead at Amsterdam Smart City, posted Aug 31st  Serious gaming is een mooi hulpmiddel voor samenwerking enbesluitvorming in de energietransitie. In de afgelopen jaren hebben wevoorbeelden gezien van spellen die complexe vragen begrijpelijk kunnen maken. Neem bijvoorbeeld de HEAT tool van Alliander, het WE-Energy spel van de Hanzehogeschool Groningen, de sustainability DNA game van de Ceuvel, het Klimaatspel Plan Zuid van de Gemeente Amsterdam en het participatiespel van de Hogeschool van Amsterdam. Stuk voor stuk interessante serious games die ingewikkelde processen van verduurzamingsopgaven eenvoudiger maken.
De Hogeschool van Amsterdam en Amsterdam Smart City zoeken samen hoe we de meerwaarde van serious gaming voor energieprojecten kunnen verhogen. Enerzijds omdat we ons afvragen of de potentie wel volledig wordt benut. Anderzijds omdat opvalt dat structurele toepassing, of op grotere schaal, uitblijft. De zoektocht staat nog ver aan het begin, maar we gaan graag met anderen hierover in gesprek. En daarom vragen we jou om met ons mee te denken.
Voor wie zijn serious games?Serious games zijn er genoeg, maar ze verschillen in de inhoudelijke focus, schaalniveau en doelgroep. Sommigen gaan uitsluitend over energie, anderen ook om andere aspecten van gebiedsontwikkeling. Daarbinnen kan het gaan over een hele regio of een bepaalde buurt. Omdat de energietransitie gaat om multistakeholder samenwerking, hebben meerdere doelgroepen baat bij het spelen van een serious game over dit onderwerp. Denk aan beleidsmakers en (nuts)bedrijven, die bijvoorbeeld moeten samenwerken om een warmtenet te realiseren.
Een doelgroep die hier niet kan ontbreken is natuurlijk de bewoner. Voor hen lijkt de toegevoegde waarde van serious games nog wel het grootst. Juist vanwege de laagdrempeligheid van een serious game is het bij uitstek een middel om mensen te helpen complexe informatie te begrijpen. Hoe meer je speelt, hoe beter je het begrijpt. En het begrijpen van een onderwerp is een belangrijke voorwaarde om mee te kunnen denken, praten en besluiten over een onderwerp. Een belangrijke reden om dit soort spellen extra serieus te nemen. Bovendien biedt een spel de mogelijkheid om gelijkwaardig met elkaar in gesprek te gaan. Verschillen in sociaaleconomische status zijn eigenlijk niet van belang. Sterker nog, spellen bieden juist gelegenheid om in elkaars schoenen te staan. Het helpt om elkaars perspectieven te begrijpen, of je nu bij de gemeente werkt, bij een netbeheerder, een woningcorporatie, of je huurder bent of woningeigenaar. Zo zijn er nog wel meer voordelen te benoemen. Voordelen die ook kunnen gelden voor andere transities dan de energietransitie.
KansenIn de praktijk lijken we deze voordelen niet voldoende te benutten. Serious gaming voor de energietransitie is weliswaar op verschillende plekken ontwikkeld, maar in beperkte mate, en niet structureel toegepast. Daar komt bij dat we er ook weinig van weten. Welke spelmechanismes werken en welke niet? Wanneer zet je zo’n spel het beste in? Bij het ophalen van ideeën, de daadwerkelijke besluitvorming, of ook in de evaluatie? Zijn er eigenlijk ook risico’s? Zijn er redenen om serious gaming absoluut niet te willen gebruiken in het energieneutraal maken van wijken?
En dan nu de vraag aan jou!Om de zoektocht kracht bij te zetten vraag ik namens Amsterdam Smart City onze community om hulp. Hoe kijk jij aan tegen serious gaming als middel om te werken aan transitieopgaven? Zie je de toegevoegde waarde van zo’n game voor buurtparticipatie? En van welke voorbeelden zouden we moeten leren – of wellicht als netwerk moeten door ontwikkelen?
We zijn benieuwd naar je ervaringen! Laat je reactie achter in de comments!
 Highlight from Amsterdam Smart City, Connector of opportunities at Amsterdam Smart City, posted Aug 26th  Kun jij goed schrijven? Ben je een enthousiaste student die het leuk vindt om mensen te benaderen en teksten te schrijven? Heb je interesse in de regio Amsterdam, innovatie, technologie of duurzaamheid? En zoek je een stage op het gebied van communicatie en communities? Dan zoeken we jou!
Amsterdam Smart City is het innovatieplatform dat proactieve bewoners, innovatieve bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en overheden samenbrengt en vorm geeft aan de stad van de toekomst. Samen komen we tot innovatieve oplossingen en maken we betere straten, buurten en steden. Zo zorgen we ervoor dat de Amsterdam Metropoolregio leefbaar blijft voor iedereen. 
Amsterdam Smart City richt zich op vier thema’s: mobiliteit, de digitale stad, energie en circulaire economie. We werken samen met 20 partners en een internationale community van meer dan 8000 leden. Amsterdam Smart City is een netwerkorganisatie die valt of staat met contact met het netwerk. We brengen mensen op verschillende manieren bij elkaar, o.a. via het platform amsterdamsmartcity.com. Communicatie is één van onze kernactiviteiten, waarbij we jouw hulp nodig hebben!
Wie ben jij?
Jij bent een student in de richting communicatie / media / marketing / journalistiek. Je hebt affiniteit met de thema’s duurzaamheid, technologie en innovatie. Je bent enthousiast en wil graag leren. Je bent initiatiefrijk en je kunt zelfstandig werken. Daarnaast kun je makkelijk schakelen en ben je flexibel. Je kunt je communicatief schriftelijk en mondeling sterk uitdrukken. Je kunt overweg met online platforms, vindt het leuk om te schrijven, samen aan de slag te gaan en je netwerk te vergroten. Je vind het leuk om een community te ondersteunen en te stimuleren tot meer interactie. Een goede beheersing van de Nederlandse en Engelse taal is een must. Ervaring met Photoshop, Indesign en videobewerking is fijn, maar geen must.
Wat ga je doen tijdens je stage?
• Je bedenkt samen met het team welke (interactieve) content interessant is voor het netwerk. Je vindt haakjes met de actualiteit, komt met creatieve ideeën. Daarnaast ga je op zoek naar relevante content uit de community.• Je beheert en bewerkt de content geplaatst door de community.• Je schrijft of, als je het leuk vindt, maakt video’s en plaatst deze op de website.• Je activeert de Amsterdam Smart City community door contact met de leden te onderhouden.• Je beheert social media kanalen Twitter en Linkedin en zet deze actief in om onze content verder onder de aandacht te brengen.
Wat bieden wij?
• Een uitdagende meewerkstage op het gebied van communities en communicatie voor minimaal 4 dagen per week.• We bieden je een fijne werkplek op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam, met een informele en collegiale sfeer en voldoende ruimte. Uiteraard kun je ook vanuit huis werken.• Jouw eigen inbreng en enthousiasme zijn erg welkom.• Wij bieden de stageplaats aan tegen een nette vergoeding volgens de richtlijnen van de Amsterdam Economic Board.• Het is mogelijk om vanaf september te beginnen.
Geïnteresseerd?
Vind je dit allemaal goed klinken? En past de stageplek goed bij je? Stuur dan je CV en een korte motivatie naar info@amsterdamsmartcity.com. Voor meer informatie over de functie kun je een mailtje sturen naar Francien via francien@amsterdamsmartcity.com. Hopelijk spreken we elkaar snel!  Anja Reimann, Projectleider at City of Amsterdam: Chief Technology Office, posted about 3 hours ago  Het is al weer een tijdje geleden dat we iets hebben gepost. We zijn namelijk druk bezig geweest met alle voorbereidingen zodat onze twee consortia goed van start konden. Er is veel gebeurd in de tussentijd, we geven je graag een update!
We zijn met deze twee consortia in zee gegaan (letterlijk!):·       LYNXX B.V., REISinformatiegroep B.V. (9292) en HERE Europe B.V.;·       Sweco B.V., Scenwise, Livecrowd, PTV Nederland, TomTom en ViNotion.
✓ We hebben een samenwerking gestart met gemeente Zandvoort waar het niet alleen tijdens de F1 druk wordt maar natuurlijk ook tijdens de zomer. Deze geliefde strandlocatie is perfect om de 2 oplossingen van de consortia te testen.
✓ We hebben allerlei data verzameld. De grote vraag voor ons was ‘Hoe kun je drukte voorspellen en welke databronnen kun je daarvoor het beste gebruiken?’. Dat was soms nog een zoektocht omdat dit soort data niet zo maar klaar op de plank liggen.
✓ We hebben meerdere kennissessies gehad een daarbij veel kennis met elkaar gedeeld. Bijvoorbeeld: Johan Cruijff Arena heeft met ons resultaten en lessons learned van eerdere projecten rondom drukte en gedragsbeïnvloeding gedeeld. Daarnaast hebben we meer over de drukke recreatiegebieden in Provincie Noord Holland geleerd en de draagkracht daarvan.
✓ Én: we hebben natuurlijk de eerste resultaten geboekt! Wil je meer weten? Houd dan deze pagina in de gaten. Volgende week delen we de eerste resultaten.
Wil je meer weten over het project Scale up? Kijk dan op de website  https://smartmobilitymra.nl/scale-up/ of schrijf ons een email scaleup@amsterdam.nl
  Jasmyn Mazloum, Communicatie at Gemeente Almere, posted Sep 14th  BLUNDER BREAKFAST - Circulaire ondernemers uit Almere geven je concrete voorbeelden van hoe circulair ondernemen er uit kan zien en vertellen over de dingen waar zij tegenaan zijn gelopen.
Na een eerste editie eerder dit jaar, gaan we verder met een tweede reeks workshops over circulair ondernemen. In de eerste sessie horen we de verhalen van Almeerse ondernemers die hun blunders en successen met ons delen. Welke keuzes hebben zij gemaakt en wat zouden zij anders hebben gedaan?
Wat kun je verwachten?•    Een informele bijeenkomst met leuke verhalen en leerzame ervaringen uit het Almeerse duurzame bedrijfsleven•    Netwerken met andere Almeerse ondernemers•    Leuke start van een boeiende reeks onder het genot van een kopje koffie en zoete broodjes om je dag mee te beginnen!
De Blunder Breakfast  is onderdeel van een reeks bijeenkomsten, georganiseerd door Van Loof in opdracht van de Gemeente Almere. Deze bijeenkomst is op woensdag 22 september en duurt van 10:00 tot 12:00, in het World Trade Center in Almere. Het adres is P.J. Oudweg 4, 1314 CH, Almere. Het WTC ligt naast het station en is daarom makkelijk bereikbaar met het openbaar vervoer, er zijn ook diverse parkeergarages in de buurt.
Zien we je daar? Meld je aan of lees meer via de link!
  Teska Drosten, Communicator at Waag, posted Sep 13th  Sinds de pandemie zijn we massaal aan de wandel geslagen. Ontspannen, een goed gesprek voeren en nadenken over de toekomst: dat alles vind je terug in de Toekomstwandeling dwars door Amsterdam. We beginnen bij onze outpost op het Amsterdam Science Park: planet B, en wandelen richting het eindpunt op de Nieuwmarkt: Waag.
Tijdens de wandeling dwars door Amsterdam lopen we langs pleinen, parken en door buurten die de aanleiding zijn voor gesprekken over de stad, het land en onze toekomst. In wat voor wereld wil je wel of niet leven? Wat vind je belangrijk op het gebied van wonen, samenleven, voedsel, technologie en het klimaat? Wat is jouw droomtoekomst? Waar is verbetering nodig en hoe komen we daar?
Laat je verrassen, leer van elkaar, bekijk de wereld met andere ogen. Breek uit je bubbel en verken de ideale toekomst met vage bekende en nieuwe vrienden.
Meld je aan
Wanneer: zaterdag 25 september
Starttijden: 13:00 | 13:30 | 14:00
Locatie: Planet B, Startup Village, Science Park Amsterdam
Eindpunt: Waag, Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam
Belangrijke praktische informatie:

De wandeling duurt anderhalf tot twee uur (5 km). Je begint bij het Science Park en wandelt via Amsterdam-Oost naar de Waag op de Nieuwmarkt.
Bij aankomst in de Waag (1e verdieping) is de bar geopend voor een hapje en een drankje.
Kom je op de fiets naar Amsterdam Science Park? Je fiets wordt terwijl je wandelt naar de Nieuwmarkt vervoerd. Zo kun je vanaf daar weer gemakkelijk naar huis komen!
Je kunt samen met een vriend of vriendin wandelen, of meedoen aan de matchmaking en je laten verrassen! Dit kun je ter plaatse beslissen. 
Je hebt de keuze uit drie verschillende starttijden, om te grote drukte te voorkomen.

Waag Future LabWaag is sinds 2021 een Future Lab voor Design en Technologie van Nederland. Waag organiseert in de komende jaren meerdere expedities naar planet B. Hierin zoekt ze naar antwoorden op de sociale, technologische en ecologische uitdagingen van onze tijd. Ze vormen een platform voor ontwerpers, wetenschappers, beleidsmakers en burgerinitiatieven. Elke expeditie, met een looptijd van een half jaar, verkent een deelaspect van een gezamenlijke, gewenste toekomst. De eerste expeditie is een navigator en een routekaart naar de toekomst. Wat verstaan we eronder, wat verwachten we ervan? Waag gaat het land in en gaat met iedereen in gesprek. Wat is voor jou een wenselijke toekomst, wat kun je daar zelf aan bijdragen en wat heb je daarvoor nodig?
  

Curitiba

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Renault-Nissan do Brazil

Municipality of Curitiba

After the realization that it’s road-based infrastructure requires a change towards electric vehicles to be more sustainable, the city of Curitiba takes the initiative to dispel public hesitancy in making the transition from fossil fuel based vehicles to electric vehicles by replacing part of it’s own public transportation fleet with EV’s.

Curitiba's electric vehicle initiative

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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>

Circular Cities

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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)

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

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

Use waste as a resource

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

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

Manage

Infrastructure

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

Govern the Transition

Institutional design to enable circularity

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

Ensure that household and business waste is collected and appropriately sorted (by type, label, etc.) to allow for maximum recovery of value.


Collect and sort waste to facilitate recovery

The circular potential of organic wastes is dependent on the quality and low contamination rate of the residual stream that is collected. Food and organic wastes are difficult to sort and separate post-collection, and as such, collecting organic wastes through a mixed collection are often limited to incineration or landfill. Therefore, collecting organic wastes through a separate collection system is key to unlock potential high-value management practices, for example, composting and anaerobic digestion.

Due to the strong influence over the operation of local waste management systems, local governments have a key role in the provision of separate organic waste collection systems throughout the city. Collections systems can vary to suit the specific characteristics of particular neighbourhoods and areas of a city. For example, areas with detached homes have more space for bins, while for apartments with less space, a communal receptacle may be more appropriate. Communication campaigns can help to raise awareness and encourage participation of residents to separate their organic wastes. 


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🍏  Separate organic waste collection infrastructure

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.



🍏 Food Systems

Communities

Much of the world’s croplands are situated within peri-urban areas, yet this food is often not consumed in its neighbouring urban area, rather it is exported and consumed vast distances away. By strengthening links with food producers in surrounding peri-urban and urban areas, to create city-region food systems, cities can influence the way food is produced and how resources are managed. For example, reconnecting cities with their local food production can create local economies, encourage local seasonal diets, denser local transport networks, and even support regenerative techniques that support native crop varieties. This in conjunction with trade supports a more distributed system that relies on a diverse range of suppliers, and can cycle nutrients from food wastes back to the surrounding ecosystem. 

To foster city-region food systems, local governments can engage and convene stakeholders along the local food chain, from farmers, to logistics companies, to jointly envision the path to a local circular food system. This can be facilitated through the creation of platforms to connect local stakeholders. The City can also stimulate the use of regionally and regeneratively produced foods through, for example, rewarding best practices, and raising public awareness through campaigns. 


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🍏  Strengthen urban-rural links within the food system

                In a constantly urbanizing world, city governments have come to play a crucial role in urban food policies. From among the challenges facing cities, ensuring food security for their residents is vital, and this must be achieved keeping in mind both the balance to be found between urban and rural areas and the sustainability of food systems. Public commitments to this challenge have been made any number of times since the 1990s, but it was at the end of 2016 that access to “safe, sufficient, and adequate food” became part of the new urban agenda adopted in Quito, Ecuador, during the Habitat III Conference. Work by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to promote urban food security currently takes on several forms. For nearly 30 years, AFD has been working alongside emerging and developing cities, particularly in Africa, to develop and upgrade their commercial facilities. Among the cities that have benefited fromthe support are Mahajanga in Madagascar, Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, and Cotonou in Benin. At the same time, the urban development projects financed by AFD have been gradually integrating urban agriculture. These often have multiple objectives that are economic, social, and environmental in nature. In Porto Novo, Benin, for example, urban agriculture acts both as an income-generating activity for the poorest and as a means for sustainably developing its lagoon area. To optimize the cycle of materials, AFD is also paying special attention to the reduction–and where applicable upcycling–of waste, be it organic matter (which can be reused as fertilizer) or energy. For example, this year AFD started up an energy-upcycling project in the sector of restaurant food waste in the city of Shaoyang, China. This project will help to produce 17,220 MWh/ year of energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (70,000 tCO2/year). For several years, in order to better guide its partners in defining and implementing this new aspect of local public policy, AFD has been thinking more specifically about food for cities. This has taken on concrete form
through a research program on urban supply systems and through the present publication, which stems from deliberations following the Urban Food Policies symposium organized by the UNESCO Chair in World Food Systems and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (Cirad) in late 2015, with the support of AFD and other organizations.
                  
               

The City of Curitiba is implementing a program called “Cambio Verde” (green exchange), in which organic waste that can be upcycled is exchanged for products grown by peri-urban and rural smallholders. It promotes selective sorting in schools, hospitals, and public institutions to set the example for everybody to follow.

Curitiba “Cambio Verde” 

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

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

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

Develop infrastructure to support sustainable lifestyles

 Spatial Planning

Compact city development

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

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Rethink

Includes a variety of actions (e.g. campaigns, information sharing, public events) that encourage city residents and visitors to build sustainable practices into their daily lives

Enable sustainable lifestyles

The mobility choices and behaviours of residents and businesses can vary greatly depending on the structure and design of the city. A sprawling city covering large areas with wide highways and no bike lanes discourages cycling and increases dependence on private vehicles, which contribute significantly to resource demand and GHG emissions. Meanwhile, a more compact city with mixed use developments, accessible public transport and extensive and appealing pedestrian and cycle networks enables and encourages walking, cycling and other non-motorised, low-carbon forms of mobility. Combined with urban planning that incentivises higher densities along major public transport routes, transit-oriented development can help to slow the outward expansion of cities into the surrounding countryside. 

Compact city planning can help local communities build and create more efficient, safe and viable cities. This concept includes ideas such as the 15-minute city or ‘complete neighbourhoods’, whereby all of the basic needs and services of a resident can be accessed within 15 minutes by walking, cycling or public transport. This concept has also attracted attention as a way to reduce inequality by ensuring that all neighbourhoods have access to affordable mobility options.

Local governments can support the development of compact and low-carbon cities by integrating such concepts into the city’s urban plans, and ensuring that all residents are easily able to conduct their day-to-day lives using non-motorised or public transport. Cities can also ensure that necessary and facilitating infrastructure is provided, such as cycle lanes, pedestrianised areas and public transport options, to enable the shift away from dependency on personal vehicles.


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🚌  Compact city planning and development

Commissioned by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), which advises the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Circle Economy and Shifting Paradigms have researched how the circular economy can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in low- and middle-income countries. This report uncovers the range of socio-economic and environmental co-benefits that circular mitigation interventions can bring to GEF countries of operation. It supports strategic advice by the STAP to the GEF and its implementing partners and helps carve out a role for these bodies in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon circular economy. As our Circularity Gap Report 2021 reported, circular economy strategies have the potential to slash global greenhouse gas emissions by 39%, emphasising the urgency for a circular economy approach.   The findings of this report will be highly relevant to the development of future GEF projects and programmes across its different focal areas.

  EcoMobility Alliance City
 0Population (2010 census) Curitiba is internationally renowned as one of the most sustainable and well-planned cities in the world, whereby Curitiba’s BRT model has been replicated in more than 150 cities worldwide. Curitiba institutionalized the Transit- Oriented Development (TOD) principle in its mobility plan that requires mixed-use urban developments along the BRT corridors. The city also focused on strengthening the central city with car-free zones and ensured mixed land-use planning. Despite the BRT’s success, the city is experiencing the limits of the BRT. Extreme overcrossing has prompted many middle-class commuters to switch to driving, while the metro project was scrapped due to lack of federal funds.
In response to the pushback on public transport, the city adopted a new BRT system plan, called City Vehicle Interconnected, a new generation of BRT that combines the concepts of interconnected city and intelligent mobility with technology. The project includes hybrid and electric buses that will be connected through a total of five corridors (106 kilometers, km) and about 300 stations. Six of these stations will be underground, resembling metro stations but with less depth. All stations will be connected to the fiber optic networks so that passengers have access to wireless internet and cell phone applications with real- time information about bus services, and air conditioning in the spaces, the lack of which has been one of the existing system’s main criticisms. When successfully implemented, BRT 2.0 will be an affordable, safe and reliable system, drawing commuters to opt for public transportation again.
      
     
     
     
     
      

 

The Brazilian city of Curitiba is a model of transit-oriented planning. Curitiba’s mobility plan built the foundation for more sustainable communities by institutionalizing the principle of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which calls for urban development to be dense, mixed-use and highly accessible via public transit.&nbsp;The city encourages public transportation use with affordable pricing, transfer terminals and prepayment stations. Car-free zones and limited parking in central areas discourage driving.

Curitiba, Brazil, is a model of transit-oriented planning

Curitiba has been an international reference point for progressive urban
planning and bus rapid transit (BRT) since the 1970s. Now, almost 50 years
later, and confronted with climate change and a burgeoning urban mobility
crisis, Curitiba is seeking to reaffirm its international reputation: the
Curitiba Ecoelétrico project seeks to integrate fossil fuel alternatives and
technological advancements into Curitiba's urban mobility strategy.

