The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, through the Biodiversity Foundation and in collaboration with Ecoembes, has held the Green Circular Day in Madrid, co-financed by the ESF.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, through the Entrepreneurship Network of the Biodiversity Foundation, promotes and supports the projection of entrepreneurs who are committed to circular business models and the circular economy, business initiatives that make more efficient use of resources. With this objective in mind, it has held the second edition of Green Circular Day in Madrid, which has brought together 200 people including entrepreneurs, companies, investors and financiers.

The Ministry’s Director General for Environmental Quality and Assessment and the Natural Environment, Javier Cachón, inaugurated this event, which was held within the framework of a collaboration agreement with Ecoembes and which was co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). Cachón highlighted “the importance of the circular economy and the holding of meetings such as this one, which help to identify and visualise real opportunities to generate employment, promoting new business models that make more efficient use of resources”.

The Director General pointed out that “the adoption of this more sustainable production model is a priority for the Government of Spain, and therefore, a global strategy is necessary to promote an orderly transition towards a genuine circular economy model, an opportunity to boost the country’s economic growth and improve the well-being of citizens”. In this regard, he recalled that the Ministry is working on the development of a Spanish Circular Economy Strategy, in line with the European Commission’s Package of Measures and Action Plan, which will have maximum participation.

For his part, the manager of Institutional Relations of Ecoembes, Juan Ramón Meléndez, stressed that “the circular economy implies innovation, creativity and commitment to the environment, concepts that are closely linked to green entrepreneurship”. He also insisted on the value of entrepreneurs as “a fundamental piece to take circular economy strategies off paper and turn them into realities”.

The meeting has been developed through practical sessions on existing investment and financing tools , guidance and improvement of skills, advice from mentors on the path of the entrepreneur and inspiring experiences of entrepreneurs, among others. The conference had three simultaneous spaces: the Circular Space, the Green Space and the Meet & Connect Space.

The Circular space served as an area of knowledge and inspiration with the opening session by María Rincón Liévana, responsible for the implementation of the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan, who outlined the progress of the circular economy in Europe. After his speech, circular tables were held, where different agents of the circular economy participated, including investors, entrepreneurs and counselors. Quick presentations of circular business models have also been made that have served as a model for future entrepreneurs.

The Green Space has hosted an open area in which parallel activities have been carried out such as a marketplace, where products from entrepreneurs from the Emprendeverde Network have been shown, which are examples of circular economy, and a networking area.

Finally, the Meet & Connect Space has been one of the strengths of this edition. In this scenario, attendees were able to come into contact with companies and mentors, thus promoting new business opportunities and synergies in the field of the circular economy. It has also been a point of exchange between companies in the  upcycling and ecodesign and those entrepreneurs interested in these business models.