The adoption of the circular economy by local governments: a survey among Belgian municipalities

Abstract

Although many local governments are trying to reduce their local greenhouse gas emissions, consumption-related emissions are largely ignored. The circular economy provides a means to address this issue by changing consumption and production patterns profoundly. Not only supra-national, national, and regional governments are adopting policies for the circular economy, we find that local governments are also starting to adopt it with the aim of addressing environmental and social challenges on their territories. In this report, we provide insights into the level of adoption of the circular economy by Belgian local governments, their priorities, their approach, and the main barriers they encounter. Although the transition has started, still more work is required from all stakeholders to accelerate the circular transition towards sustainability.