Driving Circular Transformation Through Cities The Circular Economy is widely regarded as a key driver for achieving sustainable transformation. As demographic and economic centres, cities can act as catalysts for the circular transition. However, there are still gaps in recognising the role of cities in achieving large-scale impact and leveraging urban resources and infrastructure to enable shorter supply chains, reduce emissions and waste, and increase employment rates. On the other hand, cities also often fail to fully recognise their role in the circular transformation due to fragmented governance, competing priorities, and limited awareness of circular benefits. In our collaborations, we focus on positioning cities as leaders in circularity while supporting them in embracing this role and maximising their potential. Change and collaboration is happening across Europe Cities across Europe are collaborating in various ways to advance the circular economy: sharing knowledge, co-developing strategies, implementing joint projects. The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), launched by the European Union is serving as a platform where cities can find support in the form of resources, knowledge, networking and exchange. The CSCP is involved in different CCRI projects and work streams, working with city actors to align circular economy solutions to local realities and ensure successful implementation. Recently, we have launched the CCRI Communities of Practice project to bridge potential gaps in the peer exchange process between cities by setting up dedicated Communities of Practice (CoP) for systematic collaboration. The first CoPs will launch in early 2025, drawing on our previous work in the HOOP project (where we employed our successful biowaste club model to enable creative and impact-oriented collaboration flows) and our current experience in the CARE project (which takes a human-centric approach to support households to become more circular). The CCRI CoPs will cover topics such as monitoring and indicators for the Circular Economy, collaboration within and between territories, urban planning, water and waste management, circular procurement, and more. Moreover, we are looking to create synergies between the CCRI projects and other initiatives, like the Circular Cities Declaration, which is a voluntary network bringing together over 80 European cities (to date) that have endorsed ambitious circular commitments. North-Rhine Westphalia launches ambitious circular cities agenda The state of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) in Germany has accorded 16 million Euro in a first of two funding rounds dedicated to boosting circular cities, using both state and EU funds from the European Regional Development Fund. Multiple frontrunner projects will take innovative approaches to launch transformation processes in cities and create new opportunities for the economy and society alike. The CSCP will be involved in three of the new projects that launch in 2025 in NRW, working with the cities of Duisburg, Aachen, and Wuppertal. In the project DU.zirkulär, the CSCP, the city of Duisburg, and the consortium partners (Duisburg Business Innovation, Wirtschaftsbetriebe AöR, GEBAG Duisburger Baugesellschaft, Zolitron) will work on a variety of interventions focusing on Ruhrort, a district where many circular economy initiatives have been launched. DU.zirkulär aims to transform Duisburg, particularly Ruhrort, into a lighthouse for the Circular Economy. The project focuses on promoting circular practices among citizens and businesses, implementing sustainable infrastructures, and bridging bottom-up initiatives with strategic approaches. Key elements include circular construction, knowledge dissemination, and the development of innovative solutions for the urban community. The CSCP plays a central role in evaluating the project and creating a blueprint to ensure successful approaches are scalable and transferable. In the city of Aachen, the goal is to create a Kreislauf-WIRK-statt as a place that enables circular action on many levels, including both businesses and other stakeholders working on circular city topics. Together with the city of Aachen and the project partners (Aachener Stadtbetriebe, Concular, Gebäudemanagement), the CSCP will co-shape and contribute to developing the space into a vital part of the Aachen’s transition towards becoming a circular city. As part of Smart Circular Wuppertal, new business models are being tested and optimised through digitalisation. This involves new approaches to waste-free regional food supply for canteens or schools and the repair of household items. The CSCP is responsible for developing and optimising the business models and will work closely with the city of Wuppertal and all project partners (the Wuppertal Institute, Aufbruch am Arrenberg e.V., Neue Effizienz, Ohne wenn & Aber). In all new projects launched by the state of NRW, special Circular Economy Managers will be appointed, in response to the need of having more specific and cross-cutting sustainability experts in city administrations. Given that these are new roles, the CSCP together with the Bergische Abfallwirtschaftsverband (BAV) and their project :metabolon, will support with capacity building. For this purpose, targeted vocational training will be offered to the involved cities. Stay in touch with us to find out more about the academy and how to benefit from its services. Engage with us We invite cities, policymakers, businesses, and thought leaders to join us in co-creating solutions that position cities as frontrunners in the circular transformation. Together, we can close the gaps, scale impact, and build a resilient, sustainable future. Please reach out to Felix Schumacher and let’s start new collaborations now! Image by the CSCP and AI.