Japan’s Environment Ministry aids local governments in circular economy transition

Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has completed a second call for applications for a programme designed to help local governments transition to a circular economy. The initiative aims to support municipalities and prefectures in developing visions for regional revitalisation through the effective use of local resources.

The programme will dispatch experts, or “Meisters”, who have proven experience in promoting advanced resource circulation at a regional level. These specialists will conduct assessments of a local government’s current situation and potential for a circular economy. They will provide hands-on advice to help formulate a vision based on their findings, and will also offer support tools such as guidance documents and personnel development programmes.

The support is tailored to two levels of local government. For cities, towns and villages, the Meisters will diagnose local resource circulation, help identify regional challenges, and assist in drafting visions that include concrete proposals for circular economy demonstration projects. A key goal is to cultivate core personnel to lead these efforts.

For prefectures, the support focuses on a broader scale. The experts will analyse the status of municipal solid waste incineration and the layout of facilities across the prefecture. Based on this diagnosis, they will help identify key areas for promoting resource circulation and formulate a policy vision for initiatives in the coming years.