Møre and Romsdal
Updated on 11.12.2023
Møre and Romsdal County Council is a regional authority on the west coast of Norway. As a regional authority responsible for business development, transport (including public transport and road building), and high schools, as well as being a major regional constructor of public buildings, finding more circular ways to operate is crucial for Møre and Romsdal County Council, throughout the entire value chain, from design, to use and recycling.
More information
It is important for the authority, when it comes to both improving our own practice and in cooperation with businesses, municipalities, and other major regional institutions to consider all these circular economy (CE) operational models.
One overarching initiative initiated by the County Council is a joint regional programme for sustainability, called ‘The Sustainability County Møre and Romsdal’. An important starting point for this programme has been the completion of a thorough measurement of sustainability for every municipality in the County. This has been done using the United for Smart Sustainable Cities key performance indicators – a set of 92 indicators that, together, give an overview of how a municipality fares in the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability.
As a result of this, CE has been identified as an important area for the region to focus on in the years to come. Too much of our waste is being incinerated, rather than being disassembled and sorted for new modes of use. Furthermore, reducing the waste that is produced in the first place is also necessary, because these levels of waste are very high.
Through the ‘Sustainability County Møre and Romsdal’ initiative, the County is working together with the municipalities on different aspects of sustainable development. For the coming year – 2022 – all municipalities, and all departments in the County Council, have been challenged to make sure one of their next procurement processes are in line with principles of the CE. The County Council will work together with the municipalities to ensure that knowledge about best practice on circular procurements is disseminated.
Leading organisation
Møre and Romsdal County Council
Unit/department/section
Department for Strategy and Governance
Link to existing circular economy action plan
No Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) exists currently, but the regional plan for Møre and Romsdal states that the region wants to attain ‘a leading position in the development of a green, circular economy with a high level of reuse, and a good waste management system.’ A specific regional plan for environment, climate change and energy is to be adopted in 2023.
Objectives
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Other activities
On the regional level, among major measures is the transition from fossil-fuelled to electric (hydropower-based) transport and passenger ferries. Increasing the amount of reused materials in building construction is another.
The largest municipalities have also implemented a whole range of projects: the municipality of Molde has started mapping their stock of furniture across the municipality – thereby facilitating reuse and recycling of furniture rather than buying new.
The Ålesund municipality, in cooperation with the regional waste collection authority ÅRIM and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, among others, have completed a thorough analysis of the status of circularity in the Ålesund region.
The analysis is threefold:
- Setting the waste target for the Ålesund region for 2030.
- Digital models for analysis, simulation and optimisation of smart circular city.
- Competence building – A Roadmap for Implementation.
On the business side, there are several interesting projects in the region. A few examples are:
- The region's large maritime sector is collaborating in different ways on how to retrofit ship hulls so that they may be reused in new, energy efficient ships – rather than being sent to recycling (for lower value purposes) – thereby reducing the need for ordering new ships.
- The region's furniture industry is looking into new services like leasing and ‘furnitures as a service’.
- The ecosystem surrounding the major aluminium processing plant in Sunndalsøra are experimenting with exchanging the reinforcing steel used in construction with aluminium. This means lighter, cheaper, and more recyclable material use.
Link to Circular Systemic Solution
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Circular economy good practices
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Key publications, policies, legislations and initiatives
One overarching initiative initiated by the County Council, is a joint regional programme for sustainability, called ‘The Sustainability County Møre and Romsdal’.
The goal is for the programme to contribute to a coordinated and methodical effort to achieve the UN's sustainability goals (SDGs) by 2030. Activities in the project:
- Give everyone knowledge about the status (of sustainability) in their local community.
- Develop plans for societal development that show how we are to achieve the SDGs.
- Mobilise and support citizens, businesses, organisations and academia that contribute to sustainable development.
- Measure and evaluate the effects of the efforts.
Support from CSO
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