This workshop, hosted by the Regional Council of Päijät-Häme, brought together key stakeholders to explore and discuss the transition towards a circular economy from different perspectives. Focusing on four thematic discussions, participants shared insights, identified challenges, and proposed steps for enhancing collaboration across sectors.
1. Towards Sustainable Future (Green Transition Programme)
- How to envision a sustainable future?
- How to transition to a circular economy?
- How to promote sustainable thinking and practices?
As we move toward sustainability, there are many different paths and approaches we can take. Cities and regions each have their own strategies and practices that we can learn from.
One effective way to begin addressing sustainability systematically is by focusing on a single value chain. This means identifying all the key players involved, while also considering factors like funding, procurement, legislation, and other elements that influence the system. The goal is to identify the minimum viable ecosystem for change.
When discussing circularity or sustainability, it’s crucial that we agree on the meanings of the terms we’re using and ensure everyone understands them in the same way.
Since change is required at every level of society, education and raising awareness are key priorities. Shifting mindsets toward a sustainable future is still an ongoing process.
2. Co-creating the future: Moving ahead to best support cities and regions (CCRI)
- Who is involved with the CCRI and what can you share from your experience?
- What hurdles do cities and regions face when moving from a linear to a circular economy? Can you identify any key research or innovation gaps that could help drive circular implementation?
- What types of support do cities and regions most need to accelerate their circular transition?
- How can we strengthen the connection between the CCRI and other urban projects?
During the session, stakeholders shared experiences regarding the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), focusing on the challenges and opportunities for cities and regions transitioning to circular solutions. While progress has been made, there is a clear need to and assist cities and regions in engaging more effectively with other stakeholders such as private sector entities and academia, to foster a more robust ecosystem. Additionally, financial engineering emerged as a critical area, with calls for stronger partnerships with local banks in addition to the European Investment Bank.
Additionally, participants emphasised the importance of fostering better coordination with other circular economy-related initiatives, and the idea of collaborating on common calls for projects was welcomed. The session further underscored the value of improving networks and communication channels, as inefficiencies often arise from a lack of coordination at the national level, resulting in time lost in finding the right contacts. Nevertheless, successful interregional collaborations, such as a recent meeting that brought together stakeholders from various Finnish cities and regions, provide a promising model for enhancing cross-regional connections.
Enablers and challenges in industrial symbiosis and bioeconomy
- How can regions support the development of industrial symbiosis and bioeconomy?
- Key challenges and the role of different actors in overcoming them?
- How can the best practices from the regions be shared with the CCRI partners?
The growth of industrial symbiosis and (circular) bioeconomy is facilitated by effective communication, effective data management, and strong public-private partnerships. I t was especially emphasized that you need to be a “lead”; otherwise, things will not progress. Additionally, financial security, support, and viable earnings models for companies that promote the circular economy are crucial. Key to advancing circular economy practices is engaging communities through educational initiatives and thematic stakeholder groups, like Päijät-Häme’s Climate Action and Circular Economy Groups. These groups bring together public and private actors to share knowledge, drive innovation, and coordinate regional sustainability projects.
Data ecosystems and digital material marketplaces are instrumental in tracking and balancing material flows, helping regions to optimize resource use. AI tools further support this by analysing existing data to uncover the best solutions for material reuse and waste reduction. By establishing these structures and tools, regions can ensure that supply and demand are well-managed, creating a foundation for sustainable growth. This strategic approach not only supports industrial symbiosis but also aligns with broader goals of the green transition.
Key factors for profitable CO2-value chain (Industrial Symbiosis) Joonas Mustonen
- Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Challenges
What are the requirements to make the CO2-value chain profitable?
- What is needed from different actors (Companies, policy makers, public sector, academia)?
As the group had representatives from both US and EU/Finland, we were able to notice that there are significant differences between readiness levels in CCU-technologies and carbon markets / legislations, implying that learning from each other could potentially provide new benchmarks. Therefore, provoking CCU value chains may require different actions for different markets.
At the moment, technologies to do CO2 capturing and purification exist (even at 9 TRL), but usage of those limited due to high costs (especially CAPEX). The group also agreed that the price is still the most important single driver in the markets, but if there would be more clear unambiguous ways of calculating carbon footprints / apps for groceries etc., generally, people could be more aware of the impacts of their actions.
Moreover, CCU markets do not yet exist, and one of limiting factors is that there is no standardization for CCU-based CO2 (regarding purity criteria). However, as government is not able to artificially create new markets, still government can facilitate it by legislation and financing policies. As a specific note, the group also agreed that there are nowadays more funding tools that support establishing more applied projects in which both research organizations and companies are collaborating. However, generally speaking, research organizations should be more transparent to companies, to show the actual benefits of joining in the RDI projects.
Contact person:
Katerina Medkova, Project Manager, katerina.medkova@paijat-hame.fi, +358 44 493 8131
