We, Mayors and Deputy Mayors and City Leaders of Glasgow (United Kingdom), Granada (Spain), Groningen (Netherlands), Umeå (Sweden) and Valladolid (Spain), are delighted to introduce the results of this OECD report.

The circular economy is about preventing wasted resources, improving the durability of goods and products, and transforming waste into new inputs. The transition from a linear to a circular economy will be all the more relevant in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis when cities and regions will be urged to reconsider the link between environment and health, and reflect on the dematerialisation of the economy and society and on circular resources loops in response to the hyper-globalisation of the recent years.

The places where people live and work, consume and dispose hold a fundamental role in the transition to a circular economy. By 2050, the global population is estimated to reach 9 billion people, 55% of which will be living in cities. The pressure on natural resources will increase, while new infrastructure, services and housing will be needed. Already, cities represent almost two-thirds of global energy demand, produce up to 50% of solid waste and are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that globally by 2050, the levels of municipal solid waste will double. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the unsustainable nature of certain environmental and social trends and led to reconsiderations around current production and consumption patterns towards a green recovery. Through more efficient use of resources, eco-design, reuse, repurpose and remanufacturing, the circular economy is an opportunity for a new way of thinking and an example of resilience in the face of future crises.

This chapter provides an overview of the main drivers of the circular economy in cities and regions, as result of the OECD Survey on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions, desk research and interviews with several stakeholders within the OECD Policy Dialogues. It discusses why cities and regions are increasingly interested in transitioning from a linear to a circular economy.

This chapter provides an overview of roles and responsibilities at the national, regional and local levels of government, co-ordination mechanisms and circular economy long-term visions, based on survey information and desk research. It also provides an overview of the financial and regulatory tools, capacity-building programmes, data and information, stakeholder engagement and business models applied by surveyed cities and regions.

This chapter develops the 3Ps analytical framework based on three dimensions, People, Policy and Places, highlighting the role of key stakeholders in the transition to a circular economy, the main sectors included in circular economy strategies and the scale at which circular economy initiatives take place.

This chapter describes the main challenges that surveyed cities and regions are facing or are likely to face when transitioning from a linear to a circular economy. There are five main categories of gaps: financial, regulatory, policy, awareness and capacity. The chapter builds on the results of the OECD Survey on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions, as well as on the case studies of the OECD Programme on the Circular Economy in cities and Regions carried out in Groningen, (Netherlands), Umeå (Sweden) and Valladolid (Spain) and on-going in Glasgow (United Kingdom), Granada (Spain) and Ireland.

This chapter collects and analyses measurement frameworks for the circular economy, based on the OECD Inventory of Circular Economy Indicators. It identifies scope and scales of the measurement framework, as well and measurement challenges. It concludes with a selection of indicators to set and implement circular economy strategies.

This chapter presents a Checklist for Action for cities and regions transitioning to the circular economy. It aims to support decision-makers in promoting, facilitating and enabling the transition to the circular economy. The Checklist is accompanied by the OECD Scoreboard on the Governance of the Circular Economy, a tool for cities and regions to self-assess the existence and functioning of enabling conditions for circular economy policies, initiatives, strategies and programmes. It concludes with recommendations on the role of national governments.