Torres Vedras, Portugal
Torres Vedras is a municipality of the district of Lisbon, located on the western coastline of Portugal, with an area of about 407,9Km2 and a population of 79,465 inhabitants. The commitment to sustainability, the fight against climate change and the transition to a circular economy is a constant concern of the Municipality of Torres Vedras, which has reinforced its commitment and work in these matters over the last decade. For example, the Municipality participated in projects financed under the LIFE programs of the European Commission in the area of Sustainable Public Procurement, such as the “GreenMed” project and the SPP Capacity Building Project. In 2017 the Municipality joined the “Procura+” network, a network of European public authorities and regions with the purpose of connecting, exchanging experiences and acting on the basis of sustainable and innovative purchases. Likewise, the “Circular Procurement Torres Vedras” project was developed, which included a series of training actions on circular purchases. As a result of this work, the municipality has been incorporating circularity criteria in its public procurement procedures.
Sustainable resource management
In 2018, the Municipality of Torres Vedras joined the “BioCantinas Transfer Network” project, belonging to the European URBACT program. This project was based on the School Alimentation Sustainability Program developed by the Municipality since 2014. In 2018, the Municipality joined the Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management (ACR+) - an international network of members who share the common goal of promoting sustainable consumption of resources and waste management, through prevention in origin, reuse and recycling. It is also worth noting that the Municipality of Torres Vedras is one of the signatories of the Institutional Pact for the Valorisation of the Circular Economy in the Center Region and is involved in the pilot project “Green Deal Center in Public Procurement” within the scope of the Regional Agenda of Circular Economy (Center Region).
Green City Accord
More recently, Torres Vedras joined the Green City Accord, contributing to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in alignment with the European Ecological Pact, representing a step forward in the fair and inclusive circular transition of cities. In a strategy of continuity of the Municipality's policies, it is considered that the transition to a circular economy will be a determining factor for the decarbonisation of the territory and, at the same time, for the dynamisation of the local economy.