The Circular Economy in the Valencia Region, Spain

The Region of Valencia (Spain) began its transition to a circular economy in 2018, first referencing circular economy in its 2018-2027 Action Plan for Economic Model Transformation. However, it was only after the national government launched the 2020 Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (Circular Spain 2030) and enacted National Law 7/2022 on Waste and Contaminated Land for a Circular Economy that the Valencian government formalised specific circular economy goals through Regional Law 5/2022 on Waste and Contaminated Soil for a Circular Economy. This law directly adopts the national targets for consumption reduction, waste minimisation, and recycling, and it mandates the establishment of a coordinating body, the Valencian Agency for Waste and Circular Economy. Furthermore, the region has launched initiatives to promote industrial symbiosis, such as the creation of the Industrial Symbiosis Observatory of the Valencia Region (OSICV) and the development of digital tools (e.g. Circulariza and SIMBYLAY) to assess companies' circularity and facilitate material exchanges among businesses. This scan examines the governance challenges hindering progress on the circular economy, including the lack of a systematic strategic vision, insufficient interdepartmental coordination, the absence of a monitoring system and relevant data, and an inadequate scale of industrial symbiosis practices. It also provides recommendations to accelerate the transition, based on the OECD 3Ps framework: People and Firms, Policies, and Places.