Strategy for fostering Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy in Goa

The strategy paper for Goa presents an overall state-level action plan to mainstream resource efficiency and circular economy and foster sustainable management of resources in the state.

In February 2020, Goa became the first state in India to come out with a resource efficiency strategy. The strategy paper was launched in a ceremony in Panaji by Dr Pramod Sawant, honourable chief minister of Goa, and Mr Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India.

A well-known tourist destination, Goa saw the number of tourists increase three times from 2,788,029 to 7,785,693 between 2012 and 2017. However, as the paper notes, the total waste generated by tourists comes up to 273,408 tonnes. Tourism, thus, forms one of the focus areas of the strategy paper. It presents a resource efficiency roadmap for tourism and construction along with addressing the issue of marine litter.

To tackle the problem of waste, the paper suggests policies that encourage or incentivise tourists to choose green products and services, fines for littering at public places, and promotion of eco-friendly alternatives to plastics. It also suggests active engagement of markets and stakeholders towards waste management and cleanliness drives.

The overall objective of this strategy paper is to mainstream (material) resource efficiency and circular economy in the priority sectors in Goa. This will also enable the state's convergence with India’s resource efficiency strategy and help in meeting some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The strategy paper not only proposes a set of sectoral recommendations to foster resource efficiency and circular economy in the priority sectors but also presents an overall state-level action plan on mainstreaming resource efficiency and circular economy in Goa.

The strategy has been prepared by Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation (DPSE), Government of Goa. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was assigned to help them develop this Strategy with support from the European Union-Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU-REI)f.

The policy brief can be downloaded from the link below -

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