On March 6, 2024, the Chair for the Transformation of the Economic Model: ¨Economía Circular¨, directed by Francesc Hernández, participated in the event organised by the Regulatory Entity for Water and Waste Services (ERSAR) in Lisbon (Portugal), on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, to address a strategy for the transformation of the economic model towards the circular economy.
ERSAR is a key entity in the field of water resources and waste management in Portugal, and acts as the regulator of these services at national level. It has become an example for many European countries to follow because of the comprehensive and effective approach of its management model consisting of the development of indicators relating to operators' performance. This ensures compliance with the established standards, which allows the quality of service to be regulated and improved.
According to the chair's director, an integrated management model facilitates a more efficient use of resources, optimising their consumption and reducing the generation of waste which, in turn, can be reused, contributing to the creation of more sustainable systems In his view, this approach promotes collaboration between different actors, both public and private, which allows for the development of coordinated and effective solutions. He argues that this provides a greater capacity to adapt and respond to unforeseen situations, thus increasing their resilience in the event of a crisis.
Hernández concludes that ‘the key to ERSAR's success lies in its ability to develop a comprehensive management model that allows for a balance between efficiency, sustainability and equity, which is essential for the implementation of models based on the circular economy’, highlighting ‘the great potential of this model to be implemented in our country, and not only in the management of water resources’.
The Chair for the Transformation of the Economic Model: Circular Economy in the Water Sector Circular economy
The Chair for the Transformation of the Economic Model: Circular Economy in the Water Sector Circular economy of the Generalitat Valenciana and the Universitat de València aims to study, develop proposals, promote knowledge and disseminate issues related to the circular economy perspective. The aim is to promote the transformation of the current economic model towards one based on innovation, knowledge and sustainability from an environmental, productive and social point of view.
Under the sponsorship of the Regional Ministry of Finance, Economy and Public Administration of the Generalitat Valenciana, this chair is directed by Francesc Hernández and its activity is focused on the promotion of the circular economy through training, research and dissemination actions.
In addition, the Chair for the Transformation of the Economic Model: Circular Economy is part of a Network of Chairs for the Transformation of the Economic Model in which all the Public Universities of the Valencian Community are integrated.
