From Lima, Peru, Pamela Bravo Ortiz, Assistant Manager of Environmental and Climate Change Strategy for the Municipality of Lima, shares with us the city’s vision, challenges for the future, and action plans that they are implementing to achieve a circular economy in the city of Lima.
1. What is the municipality’s vision regarding the application of a circular economy in the city of Lima?
The 2030 vision formulated in conjunction with the different participants tied to the Circular Economy Strategy recognizes the Province of Lima for its application of the circular economy approach through innovative practices and public policies driven by local governments in coordination with the public and private sectors, civil society, academia, and the citizens, which promotes responsible consumption and contributes transparency to the city’s sustainable and inclusive development.
2. After signing the Circular Cities Declaration, what do you consider to be the next steps for the city of Lima in terms of circular economy?
· Identifying the sectors with the most potential for accelerating the transition to a circular economy in the city.
· Tracing short-, medium-, and long-term goals through the formulation of the Circular Economy Strategy of the Province of Lima for 2022-2030, which represents a roadmap towards a more sustainable economic model.
· Continuing to strengthen an adequate regulatory framework that promotes the inclusion of the circular economy approach within the different areas of municipal action.
· Accelerating the transition towards a circular economy through collaboration platforms between the public and private sectors, civil society, academia, and the citizens.
· Strengthening governance, education, and communication regarding circular economy.
· Promoting innovation and support for new circular business models.
· Including the circular economy approach within territorial planning.
3. Beyond the work done by the municipality to achieve a circular economy in the city, what other sectors do you consider to have the potential to contribute to decarbonization efforts if they were to apply a circular economy in their sectors? That is, what sectors are considered to be key in the path towards a circular economy?
Food industry: the food industry is vital to the transition to a circular production system, through actions to optimize the use of natural resources, improvements to the production design through innovation and clean technologies, consumer communication campaigns, and others.
Energy sector: The energy sector plays a fundamental role in the circular economy through the prioritization of renewable inputs, maximization of the use of materials and/or products, recovery of byproducts, among other actions to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy model.
Water sector: the application of a circular economy in the water sector is essential in terms of resource management efficiency, and this is applicable across a number of sectors, therefore a sustainable water sector constitutes an alternative for responsible and sustainable consumption.
Infrastructure and construction sector: this represents one of the key sectors of the economy, focused on the use of natural resources, most of which are non-renewable, therefore promoting circularity in this sector would imply the regeneration of natural capital and a reduction in the use of natural resources.
4. What types of alliances is the municipality trying to forge in the implementation of the circular economy strategy for the city of Lima?
The Circular Economy Strategy of the Province of Lima for 2022-2030 is being developed by a multidisciplinary work team within the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima with the technical support of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). It is also executing a participatory process involving local governments and the Metropolitan Environmental Commission (CAMET), comprised of the public and private sectors and civil society. Likewise, we have the technical support of the Ministry of the Environment through the Peruvian Platform for a Circular Economy.
5. How would you consider that the general public can collaborate with the circular economy strategy? What is its role?
Incorporating the circular economy approach means changing the design and production model, as well as consumption habits and behaviors among citizens, which is key to extending the useful life of products and minimizing the generation of waste through proper segregation at the source. Therefore, we need to improve consumer education and awareness towards circular behavioral patterns that support the city’s sustainability.
6. Finally, what do you consider to be the role of private companies in the City’s circular economy strategy?
To move towards a more sustainable economic model, participatory collaboration between the public and private sectors is necessary. Companies play a key role in this transition through the generation of new circular business models, the adoption of new technologies, innovation in the design of process and materials, among others. To facilitate the implementation of these actions, the public sector must establish adequate regulatory frameworks, share knowledge, promote public-private innovation as key parts of the circular economy.