Programme
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Please register at the Marriott and pick up your badge before the official programme starts at 10:00. To avoid long lines, please reserve time for this.
Session description:
Featuring innovative African entrepreneurs, the first session will showcase case studies on how SMEs are leading the circular transition, positively impacting local communities.
Which circular economy innovations are pointing the way towards Africa’s future? What are the secrets of their success so far?
This session will bring together some of the trailblazers who are building circular businesses. They will share their stories and hard-won experience in an interactive panel session. The session will also include insights into how to create the right conditions for circular businesses to thrive and achieve their potential across the continent.
Organisers: Footprints Africa, SEED and Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Master of Ceremonies - Introducing the forum themes
Session description:
Reflecting on the outcomes of global negotiations, the session will amplify the importance of a just transition to a circular economy in achieving human development, climate and biodiversity goals.
The circular economy has tremendous potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as halting biodiversity loss through reducing material consumption, regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions. This session discusses the takeaways of the COP27 and presents the circular economy as a pathway to reach climate and biodiversity targets on the African continent. It describes how a just transition to circularity is crucial in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Organisers: The African Development Bank Group and PACE
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Masters of Ceremony
Session description:
The third session will explore inter-continental trade dynamics in Africa, stressing the potential of circular supply chains, trade and services related to electronic waste.
This session will discuss the opportunities and challenges related to trade and the circular economy in Africa, zooming in on the continent’s role in global circular value chains and intra-continental trade with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Setting the broader scene on the principles for inclusive circular trade, the session will also offer a panel discussion on trade in the electronics and ICT (information and communications technology) industries and what it means for the African continent.
Have a look at relevant resources (initiatives and publications) identified for this session
Organisers: Chatham House, UNIDO, International Chamber of Commerce, Circle Economy, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and the UN Environment Programme.
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Session description:
Stressing the importance of systems thinking in urban planning, the session highlights the role of circular infrastructure, food, water and waste management in the built environment.
This session will focus on infrastructure, the built environment and urbanisation in African cities, as Africa is the fastest urbanising region in the world. It will discuss what is needed for prosperous, circular urbanisation; circular building materials and modular design; and innovation and policy enablers. The session will also explore how to scale best practices in the circular built environment to advance a regenerative and inclusive urbanisation across the continent.
Organisers: World Economic Forum, ICLEI Africa, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Government of the Netherlands and the African Circular Economy Network.
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Masters of Ceremony
Session description:
This session will explore greater collaboration at regional and global levels and how countries can develop impactful and coherent circular economy policies.
This session will discuss the role of partnership platforms that facilitate greater regional and global collaboration and support countries in the development of impactful circular economy policies. It will explore how partnerships help a global and inclusive transition to a circular economy by supporting policy dialogue, peer-to-peer learning, innovation and knowledge sharing.
Organisers: GACERE, UN Environment Programme and UNIDO.
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Masters of Ceremony
Session description:
Investigating policy and financing gaps, the sixth session will find solutions to the barriers entrepreneurs and small businesses in Africa face when seeking start-up capital.
This session gathers private sector experts to discuss how to scale up private financing for the circular economy in Africa. Many African circular start-ups and businesses struggle with initial financing, so the session explores paths to unlock capital flows to accelerate the circular transition. Finally, the session states what is clear: the current capital flows to sustainable business and circular ventures are still just a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed for the circular transition.
Organisers: African Development Bank Group, African Circular Economy Facility, UN Environment Programme, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, African Circular Economy Network and Global Green Growth Institute.
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Masters of Ceremony
Session description:
The final session will facilitate a dialogue on how disruptive technologies can lead the way to a circular economy in Africa, emphasising the gravity of scaling local youth innovation.
This session will focus on scalable local technologies and youth innovation as the driving forces to implement a circular economy in Africa. Many innovative products and services from Africa also have global potential. Scaling up existing solutions will play an important role in bringing economic and social benefits, while also reducing the negative impact of our linear economy on the environment. Youth innovation will be showcased through presentations by the winners of the circular economy business challenge and circular economy hackathon organised by the African Leadership University, sharing with the world the way forward for the African continent.
Organisers: African Leadership University, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, UN Development Programme, African Circular Economy Network and African Circular Economy Alliance.
RELATED UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Masters of Ceremony
FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON, KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
Achieving net zero means transitioning from a fossil fuels-based energy system to a metals-based energy system. What does a circular economy look like for mining and metals, and how do we ensure that mineral-rich producing countries are able to benefit from the resources held in their land?
LEMIGO HOTEL, KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
Circularity in the built environment is critical to make Africa’s cities more liveable and achieve climate goals. This interactive session will focus on circular construction, including low-carbon materials and circular concepts in dense urban environments.
See the details for The future of Africa's built environment is circular construction
NORRSKEN HOUSE, KIGALI, RWANDA
The inclusive circular transition in Africa requires a systemic and integrated approach to put theory into practice, unlocking the vast potential of value creation in Africa. But how can you make sure that this happens in the most effective way? This session discusses the needed steps, with the added benefit to stay for a traditional Rwandan lunch ($10 for your own cost) and invest in some local arts and crafts.
KIGALI, RWANDA
This session highlights the required actions to accelerate the circular transition based on foundational research and provides insights into why a circular economy research agenda has an important role to play to accelerate the transition and unlock the business opportunities in African countries.
See the details for Connecting the dots: accelerating circular economy adoption across Africa
MARRIOTT HOTEL, KIGALI, RWANDA
How will an international, legally binding treaty enable the circular economy for plastics to protect the environment and human health?
KIGALI, RWANDA
Extended Producer Responsibility schemes have been customised to different contexts and introduced in several countries. What have we learned from them?
See the details for Implementation of EPR schemes: Lessons learned and best practices
KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
What are the implications of EU circular policies on producers and exporters in developing countries? What can be done to maximise the benefits and mitigate potential trade barriers?
THE NORDIC HOTELS, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA AND ONLINE
Considering the ever-growing population, poverty, under-explored processing opportunities and climate risks, how can circular agricultural practices be implemented in Nigeria? This session seeks to identify practical solutions and business opportunities to mitigate the challenges within the Nigerian agricultural sector.
See the details for Harnessing circular opportunities in the Nigerian agriculture value chain
ONLINE
Why is it important to develop a just transition to the circular economy? Focus on the political economy and geopolitics of the transition towards circularity and how existing power relations might hamper this much needed transition.
See the details for JUST2CE: working towards an inclusive and just transition to a circular economy
KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
What circular approaches can contribute to reducing the footprint of the textile and garment industry?
ONLINE
How can African business organisations harness the opportunities of a circular economy and improve their performance?
See the details for Circularity in action – measuring progress with purpose
ONLINE
Nordic and African circular solutions will be shared between WCEF2022 in Kigali and the Nordic gathering in Oslo. Panel discussions, expert speakers and a pitching session will work to accelerate the transition.
See the details for Bridging the Nordics and Africa through circular solutions
ONLINE
This session demonstrates how the workforce is a key lever for the circular transformation by discussing concrete ways of advancing decent work in the circular economy and sharing initiatives that can inspire others around the world to learn from successful experiences.
ONLINE
How can international co-operation unlock solutions for a breakthrough of the circular economy? What kind of co-operation is required to support the implementation of circular solutions?
See the details for Accelerating the circular economy through international co-operation
KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
The transition from a linear to circular economy model is a global challenge. What kind of policies, actions and governance are needed to promote and implement co-operation and actions on a global scale? Is it possible to involve science for help in defining these?
See the details for Global knowledge and science co-operation for a circular economy
ONLINE
A real circular economy will be achieved only through changing the way we produce, consume and dispose of our products. WRAP, OECD and the World Bank will present new assessments of the status of plastics for the global and African context and some of the ongoing actions based on a collaborative approach along the plastics value chain and new innovations.
See the details for Plastics: From a linear problem to circular solutions
KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE, END TIME TBC
What are the biggest challenges of transboundary movements of hazardous waste and how can they be overcome? This will help leverage the opportunity in collecting and recycling waste from developing countries.
ONLINE
How does network governance empower the transition to a circular economy? What role can transition brokers play in accelerating the circular economy transition on the African continent?
See the details for Network governance – What role for the circular transition brokers?
EU PAVILION AT THE MARRIOTT HOTEL, KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
Local and informal businesses, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, have huge potential to accelerate circularity and sustainability. How can recognition and policy support empower them as important agents for green economic transition?
KIGALI, RWANDA
A circular food system will bring big benefits to Rwanda. What is the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in driving the transition, and what are the policy barriers to be overcome?
See the details for Circular food systems for Rwanda: Opportunities for impact
ONLINE
Eco-industrial parks are geographically defined areas where materials, energy and information circulate between companies. How could we promote the benefits of eco-industrial parks in order to attract new investments?
See the details for How to attract circular economy investments to eco-industrial parks
ONLINE
National Cleaner Production Centers are ideally placed to support businesses make the move towards circularity, but often struggle to finance their efforts. How can they be empowered to become the natural “go to” solution for industry?
See the details for Locally led solutions to accelerate circularity within businesses
FOURPOINTS BY SHERATON, KIGALI, RWANDA
How is hazardous waste management a key feature in achieving a transition towards a circular economy? This session demonstrates the case of Rwanda’s measures to enhance national waste management capacity through engagement of the private sector and by decoupling chemical waste generation from economic growth.
See the details for Transitioning to a circular economy through sound chemicals and waste management
KIGALI, RWANDA AND ONLINE
How could a collective process facilitate a vision for an inclusive global circular economy transition, help policy co-ordination and increase the level of ambition for the circular economy to address the triple planetary crisis?
See the details for A global road map for an inclusive circular economy – from concept to action
ONLINE
Through a venture capital lens, investment in circular economy business models should be limited to companies that have capacity to scale. Should projects that are unlikely to scale be abandoned? If not, what are the optimal ways to finance smaller projects?
See the details for Chasing unicorns in African circular business models