Economy

Porto renews its position in the international network that accelerates the circular economy

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Filipa Brito

The city of Porto renewed its involvement as a partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), an international organization that promotes the principles of the circular economy worldwide, involving municipalities, companies, experts, and civil society.

The renewal of this partnership will boost support for the city’s main priorities in terms of accelerating the circular transition, and, therefore, in achieving results with economic, environmental and community benefits. This cooperation with the international foundation has allowed several local agents to access inspiring examples and specific know how related to the food system, construction and demolition waste, plastics, and regenerative business.

Filipe Araújo, vice mayor of Porto City Hall and councillor for the Environment and Climate Transition department, considers that “the renewal of this partnership is a recognition by both parties that working in a circular economy is essential to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, as provided for in the Porto Climate Pact”.

“It is also, an opportunity to integrate more citizens into the decision-making process, transfer tools and projects to society and cooperate with internal and external stakeholders in order to create a regenerative, fair and distributed economy, aligned with the capacity ecological system in the region” underlines the municipal official.

In this partnership, Porto is joined by the cities of Glasgow (Scotland) and Phoenix (USA). In this regard this, Jocelyn Blériot, executive leader for the cities of Ellen MacArthur foundation, said that “as future looking cities with a strong industrial heritage, Glasgow, Porto and Phoenix can be a leading light in how we can reinvent what we produce and consume resources and ensure that our urban centres are more inclusive, resilient and prosperous”.

It is recalled that, in 2019, Porto was one of the focus cities in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) study “Cities and Circular Economy for Food”.

In Porto, the circular economy is a key aspect of the long term municipal environmental strategy. The Municipality’s involvement in this movement is aligned with the Porto Roadmap for the circular economy, a strategic instrument, for the affirmation of the Circular City by 2030. This document, published in 2017, established ambitious lines of action to transform the economy in the city, the forms of consumption of products and services and, also, the environmental footprint of the products and services contracted by the Municipality. This partnership focused on supporting the city’s pioneering work, whether in terms of the food system, repair services, buildings and circular constructions, reduction of the use of plastics and mobility.