How can cities transform waste challenges into clean energy opportunities? This political/policy debate will explore innovative ways of linking waste management and renewable energy production, turning trash into power while promoting a circular economy. Local government leaders and experts will debate policy solutions, share best practices and highlight how these green synergies drive sustainable urban development. The discussion aligns with TBB’s commitment to local sustainability, innovation and international collaboration, connecting Turkish and European experiences to advance EU Green Deal goals and build the sustainable cities of tomorrow.
- Circular economy | Energy | Sustainable | Urban
- Code: 15PD252091
- Jacques Delors building, JDE 63
Speakers
Moderator
Practical information
- When
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Wed 15/10/2025, 16:30 - 18:00 CET
- Where
- Jacques Delors building, JDE 63
- Type of partnership
- Partnership
- Format
- Political/policy debate
- Theme
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Cities building tomorrow
- Languages
- English, Turkish
Partner
Union of Municipalities of Türkiye
Document
concept-note
Reporting
Session summary
The session “Green Synergy: Linking Waste Management and Renewable Energy”, organized by the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT) during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025, emphasized how municipalities can be catalysts of sustainable transformation—bridging environmental action, democratic governance, and economic innovation.
Speakers highlighted that the take–make–dispose model is no longer viable and that promoting a circular economy where waste becomes a resource has become both an environmental and economic necessity. The discussion showcased how local governments can translate global sustainability goals into tangible community outcomes through knowledge exchange, innovation, and citizen engagement.
Local governments were recognized not only as service providers but as key actors of political participation, green transition, and social awareness. The discussions showed that when municipalities cooperate, share knowledge, and build partnerships, global goals can be translated into local action.
Several participants underlined that waste should be viewed not as a burden to be disposed of, but as a source of value that can be reintegrated into the economy. Examples from Sweden, and Türkiye demonstrated that cities can produce tangible results by integrating waste, energy, and climate policies.
Speakers also stressed the importance of education, citizen engagement, and evidence-based policymaking, noting that sustainable change requires measuring, managing, and continuously improving local systems.
Key messages included:
1. Local leadership drives sustainable change. Municipalities stand at the forefront of climate action. Their initiatives determine the success of broader regional and global commitments.
2. Waste should be viewed as a resource. Integrating recycling, biogas production, and renewable energy investments creates both environmental and economic value—reducing emissions while stimulating green jobs and social benefits.
3. Knowledge-sharing and partnerships multiply impact. Peer learning, EU–Türkiye cooperation, and access to financing (IPA-III, EBRD, TAIEX, Green Cities) transform best practices into scalable, investment-ready projects.
4. Good governance and democracy enable sustainability. Local autonomy, transparency, and citizen participation are essential conditions for implementing green transformation effectively.
5. Education and awareness are the foundation. Early environmental education, citizen involvement, and public communication ensure lasting behavioral change.
6. Evidence-based planning strengthens action. Measuring emissions, resource use, and social impact enables informed decisions and accountable progress toward circular and carbon-neutral development.
The session concluded that the journey toward sustainable, climate-resilient, and democratic future begins locally—in cities and municipalities that link environmental responsibility with innovation, knowledge, inclusion, and solidarity.
Quotes
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At the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, we position our municipalities not only as service-providing institutions, but also as actors of political participation, urban resilience, green transformation and ecological awareness.
This session is not only a technical discussion, but also a reflection of our effort to develop a common roadmap for the future of our cities.
Waste management is not a burden to be disposed of; it is a source that can be reintegrated into the economy.
We know that the take-make-dispose model is no longer sustainable. Instead, the widespread adoption of a circular economy approach has become an environmental and economic necessity.
Good practices grow when they are shared. We know that the greatest gain comes from municipalities learning from one another and acting in solidarity.
In densely populated urban areas, waste management is not only an environmental policy; but also an energy policy itself.
Achieving climate change adaptation and sustainable development goals depends on effective action by local governments.
In order to build stronger connections with better examples in Europe, we need to institutionalize knowledge-sharing, ease access to green finance, and engage citizens in every step of the transition.
I believe that connecting with good examples from Europe is not only about adopting technology, but also about developing a culture of mutual learning and co-creation.
Turning trash into power is not a slogan—it is a municipal job description.
Waste and energy are local services with continental consequences. Pollution ignores borders.
You cannot manage what you don’t measure—you have to measure so you can manage.
Let us use the working group to turn best practice into bankable pipelines.
Governance matters. Democratic stability and the rule of law enables mayors to act.
We have consumed 582 billion tons of resources in the last six years—80 percent of what we used in the entire 20th century. This is a huge alarm.
We have an urgent and absolute necessity to move rapidly toward a circular economy — in municipalities, locally, in universities, and globally everywhere. There are four main steps: reuse, recovery, recycling, waste reduction, and redesigning the product.
Why is the circular economy so important? The more we consume, the more we are consumed.
We have to change production and consumption, and this will create new job capacities and new areas of profitability for us. It will create diversity in competition.
With the increase in production, income is becoming more monopolized and unequal. In this sense, the circular economy stands before us as a path to a fairer world, because it allows us to reuse what we already have instead of constantly producing more.
Preventing waste saves up to twenty times more greenhouse gas emissions than turning waste into biogas.
Waste incineration recovers energy, but only part of it is renewable; recycling and prevention remain the higher priorities.
I would like to widen the perspective. There are other options like more focus on bio waste, on recycling materials, and last but not least, also on waste prevention.
A scenario for Sweden indicates that redirecting all mixed household waste from incineration to recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions quite substantially. Recycling the materials also requires that they are collected separately.
Circular Economy also includes the sharing economy — people, especially the younger generation, prefer renting, sharing, and co-using rather than owning, which reflects a new mindset of sustainability.
Additional links
https://www.tbb.gov.tr/tr/haberler/tbb-avrupa-bolgeler-ve-sehirler-haftasinda
https://x.com/tbb/status/1978468183875940757?s=48&t=uatnoSZCBh_EJzZ6ll1Iyw
