MEASURING MUNICIPAL CIRCULARITY FOR DECISION SUPPORT: A 1000-POINT INDEX AND LATVIA’S FIRST NATIONWIDE APPLICATION

Municipalities are key actors in the circular economy (CE) transition, but local decision-making is often constrained by fragmented data and the lack of a unified, comparable measurement approach. This paper summarizes the development and the first nationwide real-world application of a Circular Economy Index for municipalities in Latvia, designed to support planning, stakeholder communication, and repeated monitoring. The index was developed in cooperation with the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments (Latvijas Pašvaldību savienība) using a mixed-method approach that combined literature and legislation review, expert input, and quantitative analysis. Two structured questionnaires (municipal administrations and residents) were complemented with statistical data. A nationwide online survey conducted in June–July 2024 collected n = 3223 resident responses (population base N ≈ 1.527 million) and covered all 43 municipalities. The index uses a 1000-point scale and aggregates four categories: resource management, efficient management, economic and business transformation, and public engagement. The highest municipal score reached 504 and the average score was 422. Municipalities were classified into five performance levels, enabling clear interpretation and targeted improvement directions. The index also supports decisions on municipal resource cycles that are central to the local bioeconomy, including bio-waste, green waste, and nutrient-loop management. The index is intended for biennial implementation, with the next assessment scheduled for 2026, and the indicator set subject to periodic review to maintain relevance.