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Sectors: Construction and buildings Circular resource management Industrial symbiosis

Munich

Updated on 10.01.2024

The City of Munich administration is divided into different departments. In the Department of Climate and Environmental Protection, which will be the lead department for the implementation of the Circular Economy (CE) and the way to a climate-neutral city, five people work on circular topics. Around ten people in different departments (waste management, construction, urban planning) work part-time on special projects. CE will be a part of the City’s climate and sustainability strategy and an increase of staff working on CE issues is planned for the future. There is also a strong commitment to promote CE shown by Munich-based non-governmental organisations, universities, start-ups, and private companies. 

Countries: Germany
Population: 1.560.000

Leading organisation

City of Munich  

Unit/department/section

Department of Climate and Environmental Protection  

Link to existing circular economy action plan

By the resolution of December 18, 2019, the Munich City Council joined the global coalition of cities declaring a climate emergency, thus recognising that the measures and plans taken so far are not sufficient to limit global warming to the 1.5 degrees Celsius target. With the same draft resolution, the goal of achieving climate neutrality for the entire city was brought forward to 2035. 
 

Zero Waste is a sustainability strategy that aims to produce as little waste as possible and to reuse raw materials. By implementing the Zero Waste concept at municipal level, it is possible to minimise the amount of waste, energy consumption and the use of resources with appropriate measures, thereby contributing to climate neutrality and CO2 minimisation. 
 

On July 20, 2020, the Munich City Council passed the resolution ‘Circular Munich – Circular Economy for a Sustainable Munich’. This illustrates the possibilities for the City of Munich to develop a concept for implementing CE and a Zero Waste Strategy. The resolution finds that the cooperation and networking of various actors of the urban society, local economy and institutions is fundamental for the development into a Circular City. 
 

In order to develop a coherent concept for action, an analysis of the current status and potential is required, for example on material flows. An essential point of the resolution was the development into a Zero Waste City for municipal waste, to be achieved through measures to avoid waste and extend product life (through such actions as repair, second-hand goods, and resource management). 

Objectives

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Other activities

Various examples of activities and initiatives:  
 

  • Munich’s URBACT Local Group (ULG), an expert group installed within the EU project URGE, has set up an ‘Integrated Action Plan’ (IAP), which includes a set of measures to pave the way for a future-proof and sustainable CE in Munich’s construction sector. The IAP builds on the experiences of the pilot project ‘Bayernkaserne’ (where demolition material of the old military barracks is sorted and processed into recycled concrete on site) but also takes up the key network findings and best practice solutions of the URGE partner cities. 

  • Neighbourhood project for networking with local initiatives to motivate and involve local citizens, for example in events, swap meets, repair cafes. 

  • In 2022, the City of Munich issued a guide to action for waste avoidance and separation for all municipal schools to involve and make aware students, teachers and staff on the topic of CE. 

Link to Circular Systemic Solution

Munich is embracing a new era of cooperation and strategic decision-making.  Within the city administration, a dedicated coordination office is taking shape = to enable cross-departmental and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

The CSS contains several actions:
 

  • Internal communication: mapping relevant stakeholders within the city administration, developing an internal strategy. This will foster seamless exchange of ideas and expertise across different municipal units.
  • External communication: participation in local events, mapping of key stakeholders. They also aim to forge connections with URBACT and other projects, facilitating communication/knowledge exchange with other cities.
  • Strategic vision: Develop a forward-thinking strategy for advancing the principles of circular economy in the city of Munich.
     

Circular economy good practices

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Key publications, policies, legislations and initiatives

Two relevant resolutions on the CE were passed in May 2022 in Munich: 
 

  • The resolution of the Municipal Committee: ‘Action Plan for the Promotion and Establishment of a CE in the Construction Sector – (EU Project URGE).’ The aim is to pave the way for the long-term goal of establishing a cross-project CE in future demolition and construction projects of the City of Munich. Establishing CE in the construction sector is another key factor in achieving Munich’s goal of climate neutrality. CE in the construction sector will demonstrate how greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided: through only using transport routes for the disposal of demolition material; using local or on-site reprocessing or production of the building materials and aggregates from recycled materials; land and resource consumption are reduced by mining primary raw materials. 

  • The resolution of the Committee for Urban Planning and Building Regulation ‘Climate-neutral Munich by 2035: Zero Waste concepts for new development areas’ presents the Munich City Council with the specific framework conditions and municipal scope for action for implementing the Zero Waste concept at the level of urban planning and in building construction and civil engineering. 

Support from CSO

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Resource use, flows and materials

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