New article in Italian press
Our colleague, Stefano Treu from one of Citycircle's project partners APE FVG - Agenzia Per l'Energia del Friuli-Venezia Giulia, has recently published another article in the online magazine Evolution!
Stefano talked about the information offices that have been opened in his region of Italy, by one of Citycircle's stakeholders, in order to support citizens and consumers in the transition towards a more circular and sustainable economic system.
The article in it's original, Italian version is available HERE.... Mr. Treu was kind and provided us with English translation that we are publishing in full:
Citizens and consumers towards a more circular and sustainable economy
The European Union has long supported a transition path towards a more sustainable socio-economic system. Specifically, many efforts have been made to disseminate the concept and the principles relating to the circular economy, which is seen as a possible solution capable of combining sustainability, economic development and competitiveness.
When it comes to facilitating this transition, the focus is often placed on companies and public administrations, sometimes neglecting those aspects more related to citizens and consumers. However, for this desired transition to take place, it is necessary for each of us to change our habits, at least in part. This, in addition to being a fundamental step, is also the most complicated part of the process. For this reason, an initiative that was born as part of the “Cittadini in prima linea” program can be considered particularly relevant.
It is financed by the Ministry of Economic Development through the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (specifically through the Direzione centrale attività produttive), and has allowed Federconsumatori and Adiconsum to activate a series of thematic information offices dedicated to supporting citizens and consumers.
The purposes of these HUBs are two, on the one hand to promote digital literacy and on the other to spread the culture of circular economy (and sustainability). By focusing on the latter, the aim is to support citizens in facing a transition that requires a considerable collective effort, especially with regard to changing daily habits which are difficult to give up.
This project becomes part of a very active regional context on the theme of the circular economy and sustainability; in fact, it was possible to establish immediately a synergy with other initiatives present in the area. In this magazine I have already had the opportunity to talk about the European project “Citycircle” (APE FVG and the Municipality of Udine are the two local partners of this project), which aims to disseminate "circular" principles and practices as tools for economic development.
A first collaboration was born between the partners of this project with Federconsumatori and Adiconsum. The goal is to transmit the "know-how" acquired thanks to the Citycircle project to the operators employed within the HUBs dedicated to the dissemination of the principles of circular economy among citizens.
Translation (in .pdf)
