The WDC has a statutory obligation to advise the government on issues that impact on the Western Region and to promote government policy directed at improving social and economic standards here. It manages the WDC Investment Fund, which provides loans and equity to businesses and local communities in the region. Our work is outlined in our ‘Work Smarter, Live Better’ strategy.

The strategy is built on three pillars: regional promotion; regional leadership; and sustainable enterprise. WDC also supports the implementation of the Regional Enterprise Plan West and its action on capacity building in circular economy (CE).

GDP or GDP Category (at NUTS 3 level) Eurostat, same as cohesion policy 2019: Less developed region

Urban rural predominance:  Predominantly rural

Western Development Commission

Community & Green Finance Manager

• Galway City Council
• Galway County Council
• Mayo County Council
• Roscommon County Council
• University of Galway
• Atlantic Technological University
• Atlantic Seaboard North CARO (Climate Action Regional Office)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other national bodies concerned with the climate action and circular economy

There is no Circular Economy Strategy plan for the Western Region specifically. It is possible that each Local Authority has its own for each of the relevant counties within the Western Region but there is no one specific CE Strategy. Each Local Authority i.e. Galway County Council has circular economy considerations embedded in the overarching county strategic plan and this sits with various different divisions.

This information will be filled in at a later stage.

The region of Ireland-West is involved in multiple, different projects and initiatives such as the Blue Circular Economy Interreg project. The region is also developing activities involving multiple stakeholders to:

• contribute to the implementation of the high-level all of government CE strategy;
• help implement the existing National Waste Prevention Programme;
• support an environmentally ambitious approach at EU level in negotiations on future revisions of waste directives and CE initiatives.

This information will be filled in at a later stage.

This information will be filled in at a later stage.

This information will be filled in at a later stage

• A National Waste Action Plan has been in place since 2020
• A Regional Waste Action Plan, applicable to Ireland-West has been in place over the period of 2015–2021
• A whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy