Leuven
Updated on 13.04.2023
Leuven is a highly dynamic and fast-growing city and plays a central role regionally in employment, research, and education. Leuven has a population of over 100 000 people and hosts a world-renowned university, high-quality, innovative businesses and has a student population of 60 000 people.
Leuven is committed to becoming a climate neutral city by 2050 (with a 55 % reduction by 2030) and in doing so aims to inspire other cities, regions, and municipalities to achieve a similar goal.
More information
The Circular Economy (CE) Strategy is a crucial part of our Roadmap to climate neutrality. This strategy, adopted by the council, focuses on five strategic objectives:
- circular entrepreneurship
- circular construction
- repair, share & reuse
- sustainable & circular consumption
- data monitoring & policy work.
For each objective, targets and actions were set out in close collaboration with key stakeholders, such as businesses, educational & financial institutions, and citizens. Coordination between the stakeholders is ensured by the Circular Economy Team.
Leading organisation
City of Leuven
Unit/department/section
Circular Economy – Sustainability Department
Link to existing circular economy action plan
Leuven has a sophisticated urban circular strategy. The ambition to become a circular city is included in the policy programme of the current city council. This intention has been worked out in detail in the urban strategy, which was unanimously approved by Leuven's council. Leuven is one of the few Belgian cities to have such a strategy.
The strategy defines five priorities:
- circular entrepreneurship in Leuven
- circular building
- repair, share and reuse
- sustainable and circular consumption
- developing knowledge and embedding circular principles in policy
These priorities have been translated into 28 actions. The driving force behind the circular strategy is the Circular Leuven Platform, which includes all key stakeholders of the Leuven circular ecosystem.
The Leuven strategy is a learning strategy. The goal was to start as soon as possible in order to gain experience step by step to arrive at an impactful policy. Several strategic pilot projects are being implemented.
In early 2022, the urban strategy was updated, and a series of smart objectives were added. Leuven's circular ambitions are high: effectively reducing the consumption of raw materials, making a major contribution to the roadmap to climate neutrality and contributing to sustainable employment.
Policy plans for a sustainable, climate-proof and circular city (in Dutch).
Objectives
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Other activities
Leuven is working on a wide range of projects and initiatives, such as:
- PLATFORM LEUVEN CIRCULAR is a platform for systematic consultation on CE issues to implement the urban circular strategy.
- CIRCULAR HUB C3000 supports (regular and social economy) enterprises and organisations in their transition to a more circular approach.
- Leuven is lead for the Interreg Sharepair project to reduce EEA waste (by 110T annually in Leuven) through support for the local repair economy.
Link to Circular Systemic Solution
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Circular economy good practices
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Key publications, policies, legislations and initiatives
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Support from CSO
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