November 19 the conference-debate ‘Promotion of circular economy projects in local administration’ took place, organized by the Chair of Transformation of the Economic Model of the University of Valencia, being the second of the on-line conferences that have focused on around the importance of the new economic model. Thus, it has exposed its validity in different areas such as water resources and the policies applied to municipalities. A session that has counted, like the first, with the coordination of the director of the Chair, Francesc Hernández.

Today the first vice-president of the Valencia Provincial Council and deputy for the environment area, MªJosep Amigó, participated as speakers; Manuel Civera, member of the environmental commission of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and mayor of Llíria and Robert Raga, mayor of Riba-roja del Turia and president of the Consorci València Interior.

Mª José Amigó explained that “from the Valencia Provincial Council’s Environment area this year the ‘REACCIONA‘ strategy has been launched, which has been highly successful among the 266 Valencian municipalities, which have implemented more than 800 applications of aid worth almost 14 million euros “.

The head of the environmental area of ​​the provincial institution recalled that “within REACCIONA we have different lines of projects that range from energy self-consumption, through forest mass management or environmental education in educational centers.”

On the other hand, the mayor of Llíria and also a member of the FEMP, Manuel Civera, has assured that «we are facing an exciting challenge, a change of model that has the circular economy as its protagonist, with clear guidelines such as the reduction of CO2 emissions”.

For Civera “it is very important that each municipality knows its energy consumption and its consequences. At Llíria we have analyzed nearly 500 activities of all kinds to the population, to determine the impact on greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the forest environment «.

“Now, thermal and geothermal energy combined with photovoltaics is already resulting in efficient and self-sufficient buildings, with the savings that this implies for a city council. We can greatly reduce the bill and allocate these resources to correct imbalances and work for a more fair and friendly society “, he declared.

In third place, Robert Raga has also given the details regarding his municipality, Ribarroja, indicating that “we are part of different networks on environmental issues such as the” Spanish Network of Cities for Climate and we have the 2017-2025  Strategic Plan underway”.

Raga has added the “GUARDIAN project”, funded by the EU within the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) program and which also has to do with the implementation of circular economy models to benefit forest resources, and where they have invested close to 5 million euros. “Nor has he missed the opportunity to share other initiatives such as the Eco-Riba Circular or Eco-Riba Integra awards, the latter involving people with functional diversity in the municipality, recognizing good practices in the collection of urban waste “.

Likewise, Francesc Hernández recalled that “what is intended from the Chair is that the circular economy be the engine of transformation of the economic model. It is neither a fashion nor a whim, it is a necessity and municipalities are a key piece, for being the closest to the citizens and applying their example in everyday cases “.