Almost 30 major European cities, including many Eurocities members, have signed the European Circular Cities Declaration, recognising the need to accelerate the transition from a linear to a circular economy in Europe.

According to Anni Sinnemäki, Helsinki’s Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment who launched the declaration, “Helsinki is ready and willing to promote circular economy. Our declaration includes crucial fields for cities, such as construction work. Cooperation is essential in leading the transition: Helsinki is willing to learn more from other cities and also to share our own experiences,” said Deputy Mayor Sinnemäki. Launching signatories invite cities and regions from across Europe to join them in signing the Declaration.

Cities and regions are cradles of innovation and socio-economic transformation with an enormous potential to lead the transition to a circular economy. Local and regional governments manage a number of key sectors in urban areas. As such, they are ideally placed to foster a circular economy and lead the way towards a more sustainable, resilient future. The European Circular Cities Declaration provides a common, shared vision of a circular city that helps ensure cities act as a joined force on the road to circularity.

Organised on the sidelines of the 9th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns, the signatories will now “act as ambassadors and champion a circular economy that leads to a resource-efficient, low-carbon and socially responsible society, in which resource consumption is decoupled from economic growth.”

Eurocities members who have signed the declaration include: Ghent, Leuven, Prague, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Grenoble, Budapest, Florence, Guimaraes, Oslo, Ljubljana, Malmo.

Read more about Eurocities actions on circular economy here.