May 14, 2019 - Colombia

When Herman Calvo, director of the Metropolitan Area of Centro Occidente (incl. the municipality of Pereira) grew up his grandparents gave him examples on how to live a sustainable living – from using the last drop in a shampoo bottle to using cloths till they fell apart.

He distinguished himself with this personal story and definition of circular economy. Together we shared a space this week during the presentation of the national Colombian Strategy on Circular Economy and the closure of the Pact for cooperation in the coffee region. During lunch we discussed our contributions to the future of the city of Pereira. He left me with no secrets that his organisation was working with a Circular Budget: 0. Reflecting on this later, we also came to the conclusion that the National Strategy was accompanied by a Circular Budget. Still though the public in Pereira shared many innovative examples and initiatives of working in the Circular Economy spirit. My speech given at the forum can be found here  (in Spanish). You can read how we support the City Lab on Circular Economy and Inclusive Waste Management in Pereira, through our Governance of Inclusive Green Growth in Cities Programme (DEALS).

Irene Oostveen
Irene Oostveen - Project Manager
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