The CCRI’s work to promote the transition to a circular economy in EU cities and regions is very important given the urgent need to reduce resource consumption, waste generation and carbon emissions. 

We share the Initiative’s view that EU cities and regions are well placed to act as both cradles and catalysts for the circular transition, which would help them to become not only more regenerative and resilient but also cleaner and more liveable.

With many entities and initiatives working to promote circularity in cities, the CCRI provides a particularly useful framework that contributes to align activities, avoid overlaps, and increase synergy and complementarity among the different initiatives. The CCRI also has an important role in knowledge sharing, especially related to the exchange of information on different cities’ best circular practices.

As a CCRI Associated Partner, the EIB, through our Circular City Centre (C3), aims to support cities in their circular transition, providing them with guidance documents and tools, knowledge sharing activities, and circular city and project advisory programmes.

Under the framework of C3, we provide cities with one-on-one bilateral advisory support. To this end, we developed three advisory programmes adapted to cities’ different level of progress regarding the transition to a circular economy. The first of the circular city advisory programmes aims to help early-stage cities start their circular journey and prepare circular city strategies. For cities that already have a circular strategy, the second programme supports cities to further develop their circular project pipeline.

For cities that have progressed even further, the third programme supports cities in developing some key circular projects towards financing and implementation. At this point, the EIB can provide more support through our different options for financing.

Where there is a need for a more extensive, project-focused advisory, the C3 also offers tailored circular project advisory to cities and promoters, which is aimed at continuing the development of key circular projects towards financing and implementation. 

The C3 pilot period was completed in January 2023, and some of the activities and outputs produced during this period are presented on the C3 webpage.

We have begun planning the further deployment of the C3 in the 2023–2027 period, which will involve scaling-up the C3 pilot activities with an added focus on both the new circular project advisory programme and the circular city advisory programmes. With this, we aim to reach many EU cities that have an interest and ambition in circularity to help them progress towards circular project implementation and impact on the ground.

The scope and activities of C3 are planned to complement the support offered by other CCRI and circular city initiatives. However, the C3 focuses in particular on projects and on building upon the EIB’s ability to provide both project financing and advisory services.

The C3 team can be contacted at C3@eib.org.

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