Join Our Circular Economy Academy for German Municipality Actors Circular economy is becoming an imperative for cities that want to become places where communities can pursue a good life. One of the most common challenges cities face is the overwhelming task of coordinating the many measures, targets, and stakeholders within their administrations. We have launched the Circular Economy Academy to support municipal circular economy managers with tailored training that matches their needs and helps them advance circularity on the ground. Are you one of them? This programme is for you! What does the Circular Economy Academy offer For many cities, appointing dedicated Circular Economy (CE) Managers is a crucial step in driving the circular transformation. In pioneer cities, where such managers are appointed, they are responsible for coordinating the strategic direction and implementation of circular economy measures and thus contributing significantly to sustainable urban development. But who within a municipality is ready to take on this emerging role and has the know-how to manage its complex, cross-sectoral responsibilities? Developed by the CSCP in collaboration with the Bergischer Abfallwirtschaftsverband (BAV)/:metabolon, the Circular Economy Academy offers a hands-on, 5-day training programme tailored to the specific needs of municipal CE Managers in NRW and beyond. Whether working on environmental and climate protection, waste or building management, municipal utilities or economic development agencies—municipality employees with diverse backgrounds will gain knowledge, tools, and networks needed to confidently step into this new role and drive circular transformation in their local context. “The Academy empowers local actors to become change agents for circular transformation in their own cities—not just by providing knowledge, but by reflecting, connecting, and co-creating hands-on approaches tailored to their local context.”, says Shirin Betzler, CSCP Programme Lead. What the Circular Academy offers: An interactive introduction to CE principles, legal frameworks and urban applications Real-world case studies and local material flow analysis Vision-building and the development of concrete action steps for Circular Cities Impulses on change leadership, systems thinking and collaboration skills Tools for measuring impact and evaluating CE measures Peer coaching and tailored roadmap development for local implementation In addition, the Circular Economy Academy will strengthen a growing community of municipal CE Managers across NRW and contribute to the state’s strategy to support circular cities through funding initiatives like CircularCities.NRW. The first round of the academy is planned to start in the third quarter of 2026, combining two in-person workshops (two days each) with additional online sessions. Municipal employees can submit a non-binding expression of interest and will be the first to receive updates once registration opens. You can find additional information on the academy here. Ready to drive circular change in your city? Submit your expression of interest now! For additional questions, please reach out to Dr. Shirin Betzler.