The OVAM (the Public Waste Agency of Flanders) has been appointed as the host organisation of Circular Flanders. The operational team of Circular Flanders is embedded in the OVAM. The core team consists of 13 operational and staff members (~ 10 FTE).

The circular transition is too large to assign to a single team or organisation. That is why the Circular Flanders approach starts from public-private partnerships working on six themed strategic agenda's and seven strategic levers. Together, they represent the most important economic sectors, material flows and policy instruments.

Urban rural predominance

Intermediate

‘Promoting circular building(s) through Local Energy and Climate Plans’

Flanders is a leader in climate and CE policies, and one such policy is the Flemish Climate and Energy Plan. As part of this plan, all Flemish municipalities are developing local energy and climate plans (LECPs), and Flanders will aim to embed CE principles linked to the built environment within each LECP.

The spotlight will then move to groundbreaking demonstration projects in a selected number of smaller Flemish towns and municipalities – that promote circular building(s). This will include financial feasibility aspects related to circular building(s), with the aim to make these projects a reality and maximise their replication potential.

Objectives

• The production of a Brochure (on principles for Circular Buildings) will raise awareness and provide guidance for local action, bringing the CE dimension into the mainstream of local climate policies.
• The principles from this Brochure will be exemplified through a number of demonstration projects for which investment readiness will be assessed and, where possible, supported.
• Develop specific policy recommendations and actionable proposals to adapt or complement the LECPs, taking the Brochure and best practices to the next level.

Systemic nature

The solution primarily focuses on the built environment sector, though individual projects may eventually link with other sectors covered in Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, as required by the Covenant of Mayors. The initiative targets Flemish cities, with 293 local authorities committed through the Flemish Local Energy and Climate Pact (LEKP).

Circular Flanders collaborates closely with the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities, which has helped engage local cities. This solution is developing guidance for integrating circular approaches into decarbonisation efforts, focusing on environmental impacts and physical planning dimensions. For the built environment, this includes: establishing circular criteria in an environmental permit application; linking demolition and reconstruction subsidies to circular criteria, for both individual and collective solutions for construction works; and ensuring public tenders encourage reuse and the use of recycled materials, creating a market for both buildings and infrastructure.

Expected impact

• More political support (at the regional and local levels).
• High level of acceptance and satisfaction of circular practices by both participating citizens and companies
• An increased uptake of CE principles in the built environment, specifically in demonstration projects in Flanders.

Link to existing circular economy strategy and/or action plan

The Government of Flanders has set the CE as one of the seven transition priorities in its transversal policy paper, ‘Vision 2050, a long-term strategy for Flanders’ and appointed Circular Flanders (‘Vlaanderen Circulair’) to continue the CE as a transition priority.

In 2020, the Flemish Government voiced their ambition to transform Flanders into a circular trendsetter in Europe by 2030, pointing towards initiatives (up until 2024) to make the Flemish economy ‘future-proof’.

Leading organisation

Circular Flanders (‘Vlaanderen Circulair’)

Unit/department/section

Circular Flanders – Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM)

Participation in other relevant initiatives

• Covenant of Mayors – Flemish cities must submit Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans – required as a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors.
• Circular Cities and Regions Initiative – Communities of practice.

(Other) Key Resources

• Ambition card for local circular construction: starting with circularity in municipal construction and renovation projects
• Info session organised with VVSG (to on board Flemish cities)
• Brochure on ‘Local circular construction: starting with circularity in your municipal construction and renovation projects’