18 Mar 2019

Umeå participates in the OECD study "The Economics and Governance of Circular Economy in Cities"

During this week, OECD experts from France and Spain will visit Umeå to look deeply into the city's work within circular economy. As a result, Umeå will obtain an overview of the work being done in the area as well as guidelines on how to best continue developing the circular economy in Umeå and Västerbotten.

Umeå is one of ten cities in Europe that has been selected to participate in the OECD project "The Economics and Governance of Circular Economy in Cities".

- Umeå’s strategic plan for 2016-2028 states that "Umeå should be a pioneer in the field of circular economy", this is one of the main reasons why OECD has chosen to include Umeå in this study, says Laura Vidje, sustainability consultant at Esam and project manager for the OECD study on behalf of Umeå municipality.

At present, there is no unified approach, nor anyone responsible for the developing circular economy in Umeå, but a great deal of interest and a great need for knowledge building.

The OECD study will result in city-specific recommendations for the continued work with circular economy, create a network for collegial learning and knowledge exchange, and last but not least make out the basis for the OECD countries' future policy work on circular economy. Umeå municipality believes that participation in the study has large potential business benefits for the companies in Västerbotten.

 

Circular economy

Cradlenet - Sweden's platform for knowledge and networking within circular economy, defines the concept like this. "Circular economy is about decoupling economic growth from the use of non-renewable resources and designing waste out of the system. In a circular economy, products, services and business models are designed to benefit the planet, people and businesses.”

 

Text: Maria Klintenäs

Photo: Sebastian Holmström