ACR+ launches LCA4Regions to encourage use of life cycle assessment by regional authorities

Date
03 Oct 2019
News type
Country
EU

Public authorities will soon be encouraged to apply the LCA approach to their policies thanks to a new Interreg Europe project, LCA4Regions - Improved Environment and Resource Efficiency through use of Life Cycle Instruments for implementation of regional policies of the European Union. The 9 project partners met for the first time in Brussels, on 30 September and 1 October 2019, hosted by Delegation of the Government of Navarre, the project's coordinator.

For 48 months, they will work together to expand the use of LCA methodology as a holistic approach when conceiving and implementing public policies related to environment and resource efficiency. The kick-off meeting was the occasion for them to discuss the project’s strategy and establish its roadmap.

To reach its objective, LCA4Regions connects together different kinds of expertise and experiences across Europe. The project consortium includes:

governmental authorities 

  • Lombardy Region (IT),
  • Lodzkie Region (PL),
  • CIMBAL, Baixo Alentejo Intermunicipal Community (PT),
  • Government of Navarra (ES),

research institutions 

  • KUT, Kaunas University of Technology (LT),
  • NIC, National Institute of Chemistry (SI) and
  • Pyhäjärvi Institute (FI); 

One Industrial Association, - AIN (ES)

and ACR+ (BE) as advisory partner.

Six Transnational Learning Journeys (TLJ) will enable the represented regions to host their fellow project partners for thematic workshops, site visits and peer reviews. They will focus on the following six thematic pillars:

  • Implementation of LCA in environmental and resource efficiency policies - from theory to practice;
  • LCA for resource efficiency;
  • LCA in waste and material flows;
  • LCA in public procurements;
  • Training and capacity building in LCA;
  • LCA in monitoring and evaluation.

TLJs are part of the first phase of the project, the “Interregional Learning”, during which partners will exchange experiences and identify good practices to elaborate 7 Action Plans transferring these good practices to their territories. The second phase, “Monitoring of the Action Plan's Implementation”, will focus on the implementation of the action plans produced with the aim of improving partners’ policy instruments.

In the coming months each involved region will develop its own regional analysis and organise events on its territory to inform local audiences and gather groups of stakeholders who will participate in the project’s thematic workshops and provide feedbacks on the Action Plans.

For more information, view the project's website or subscribe to its newsletter.