Ibague is going through a moment that its history will remember with pride. The city, also known as the Musical Capital of Colombia, is the first intermediate city at a global level selected to host the OECD Circular Economy Roundtable, leaving behind a select group of major capitals such as Paris and London that have organized this important meeting in previous editions.
Amid all the planned activities, this Thursday the Circular Economy Roundtable met for the eighth time in history, bringing together governments, international experts and academics, who discuss and define how resources should be managed, among them the most precious: water.
In fact, the entire meeting was designed to identify solutions for water management and promote the creation of green jobs. The summit, which began on April 21 and concludes this Thursday the 23rd, had as its fundamental purpose to address strategic issues to rethink the economy under a sustainable approach and without negative impact on the environment.
The tamal in front of more than 100 mayors from 30 countries
To fulfill that objective, more than 100 mayors from 30 countries and 40 international experts, business leaders and delegates from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic gathered in Ibague. Before them, the mayor of the city, Johana Aranda, stated that it is small actions that generate big changes day by day and presented the tamal, an emblematic dish of the region’s gastronomic culture, as an example of circular economy in the city.
“The tamal does not have secondary packaging and uses local ingredients, which reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation, strengthening the economy and agrosystems,” she explained, and mentioned several initiatives of the Municipal Administration aimed at breaking the linear model of “take, make and dispose,” such as the reuse of materials used in streets and the use of recycled tires to build and improve roads in rural areas.
“The circular economy is a manual decision. The decision to leave behind the logic of disposal to embrace the logic of care,” said Aranda. “The decision to understand that development cannot continue to be built on the exhaustion of our resources, but on the intelligence we have to reuse them, regenerate them and dignify them.”
Throughout the OECD Circular Economy Roundtable there were voices that analyzed lessons learned in circular economy projects, the transition of public services toward sustainable models and sustainable mobility. Also, essential topics were addressed such as sustainability in fashion, responsible entrepreneurship, plastic circularity, ethical responsibility with the territory and the use of water.
In fact, one of the most important guests was the designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, whose career has conquered the world through design and fashion. She spoke with entrepreneurs from Tolima about sustainability and the need to conceive the fashion industry not as a vertiginous process, but as a generator of added value that is not eclipsed by fast fashion.
Ibague, one of the most environmentalist cities in Latin America
With a runway of colors throughout the city center, the Ibague Mayor’s Office paid tribute to Ruiz de la Prada, to highlight the essence and creativity of the renowned Spanish designer, but above all her commitment to sustainable fashion. “Agatha has a generous heart, she inspires us with joy, color and hope,” said Aranda.
“If there is something Ibague has, it is that it is a city that refuses to live in black and white. Agatha has understood before many that fashion can be circular, that beauty is not at odds with responsibility and that creating can also be caring,” added Aranda.
For her part, Ruiz de la Prada expressed her emotion for the recognition and highlighted the great work that the Municipal Administration is doing in ecological matters. “I am happy with my tribute, with this runway on the ground. How beautiful that Ibague becomes one of the most environmentalist cities in Latin America. What they are doing is very important and I am happy to be part of this project,” she said.
The model and speaker Belky Arizala also participated in the event, a leader of initiatives that promote sustainable water management and biodiversity conservation. “I love this type of initiatives, what a blessing that they give this to the city and that all of us, from what we know how to do, contribute to the care of water,” said Arizala.
At the end there was a reflection on the relevance of holding a meeting of this magnitude in a city that usually does not appear as a main venue for the OECD Circular Economy Roundtable. In fact, this is the first time that the event is held in a Latin American city.