Circular Flanders - hub and inspiration
Circular Flanders - hub and inspiration
Circular Flanders is a partnership of governments and companies, civil society and the knowledge community. It is also a broader movement of citizens and entrepreneurs, local governments and other stakeholders taking initiatives in the circular economy.
As a hub, we bring all these stakeholders together and connect them, while offering inspiration and guidance to accelerate the shift to a circular economy.
The Circular Flanders partnership is supported by a multidisciplinary team embedded within OVAM.
Our approach
Flanders already aims to be a circular leader in Europe by 2030. To achieve this, we need to significantly reduce the material footprint of our consumption. A challenge that at the same time also presents opportunities: the circular economy can make businesses stronger and more resilient and create new jobs.
Learn more about the benefits.
The circular shift is too big a project to put in the in-tray of one team or organisation. That's why Circular Flanders is organised into six thematic strategic agendas:
Working agendas
Working agendas are collaborative efforts that address the circular economy in six themes. For each theme, the partners draw up a flexible plan that includes ambitions, work paths and actions. The working agendas are guided by a public and private leader, supported by a core group.
Each strategic agenda is a partnership in itself, each with a public and private initiator. Together, they set out ambitions, devise the strategy and take action.
Good to know: our strategic agendas are closely aligned with the EU's priorities in the Green Deal.
Drawing up and implementing strategic agendas does not mean that success is guaranteed. We need to address the rules, barriers and habits from the linear economy, and we need to provide support in several areas. As such, in parallel with the strategic agendas, we have seven strategic leversin place:
Strategic levers
Levers are 'accelerators' that move work agendas forward. They address shared challenges and opportunities through one central approach. They are guided by leaders (government and private) with support from a core group. The partners come from different backgrounds, ranging from society and businesses to investors and government.
Our partners
The circular economy is everyone's business. That is why there is a broad partnership of organisations who are fully behind our ambitions. These are our partners from the knowledge community, business, government, finance and civil society.
Our steering committee
Our steering committee
Flemish Minister of Environment Jo Brouns and Flemish Minister of Economy and Innovation Matthias Diependaele are taking the next step for Circular Flanders: from experimenting to scaling up and making good practices the norm. Former CEO of Indaver Paul De Bruycker is Chairman of the steering committee.
The combined leadership of Ministers Brouns and Diependaele sends a clear message that the transition to a circular economy is both an ecological necessity and an economic opportunity, in particular in terms of innovation and employment.
As such, the following stakeholders participate in the steering committee of Circular Flanders:
Sector federations Embuild, Essenscia, Agoria, Fedustria, Fevia, Denuo, Flemish Employers Platform, Febelfin
Government agencies: OVAM, VLAIO, Department of Environment, Department of Work, Economy, Science, Innovation and Social Economy (WEWIS), Agency for Agriculture and Fisheries, Flanders Environment Agency, VVSG
Research institutes VITO, ILVO and the Support Centre CE Centre
Bond Beter Leefmilieu
PMV (Participation Company Flanders)
In this way, the steering group reflects the social pentagon of government, the private sector, civil society, knowledge institutions and the financial world.
Background
In 2006, OVAM brought together a group of individuals with a sense of engagement in Plan C, the Flemish Transition Network for Sustainable Material Management. This think tank was bolstered in 2012 by SuMMa, the Support Centre for Sustainable Material Management. In 2016, the Flemish Government ratified 'Vision 2050, a long-term strategy for Flanders'. In the context of this vision, the Flemish Government appointed us to make the circular economy a priority. And that's exactly what we're doing!