VIENNA, 26 November 2020 – Accelerating the adoption of circular economy principles, policies and practices is essential if we are to make the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and fully implement the Paris Agreement.

This was the key message from more 300 representatives of national governments, United Nations entities, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academia brought together by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in a series of regional meetings on the circular economy held virtually between 13 and 20 November 2020.

These regional meetings, convened for the African Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Eastern European Group, the Latin American and the Caribbean Group, and the Western European and Other States Group, focused on exchanging experiences and sharing knowledge, identifying benefits, challenges and barriers, and considering ways and means to enable the transition to a circular economy.

While addressing the African Group, Stephan Sicars, Managing Director of Environment and Energy at UNIDO, quoted one of the world’s most inspirational leaders and prominent change-makers, Nelson Mandela: “I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.” Sicars stressed the urgency of these words and pledged the continued support of UNIDO to foster partnerships, conceive initiatives and mobilize stakeholders for action on the circular economy in developing countries. 

Ornela Çuçi, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment, Albania, emphasized that “Nature is the biggest asset in Albania. We must preserve our environment to be able to build a strong and resilient economy. We are therefore working on legislation on the circular economy that will integrate this concept into our reality”.

Ilan Fluss, Deputy Head of the Economic Division of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Cooperation between governments, the private sector and civil society is critical for promoting a circular economy. To close gaps between countries and societies, it is important to create partnerships, share best practices and exchange experiences.”

Noting that despite the opportunities, challenges remain, Claude Koutoua, President of the Environment, Quality, Hygiene, Security and Energy Committee, General Confederation of Enterprises, Côte d'Ivoire, said, “One of the main challenges is making technological innovations available, especially those that allow for carbon-free processes. We are in a world of competition and if we do not have a sufficiently attractive cost factor, it may happen that industries will not find the necessary enabling environment. What is more, we need support to make sure there is a political will to effectuate transformational changes”.

Van Keaheak, Director General for Industry at Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, stressed “that stakeholders are very important. Stakeholders involved should be the government, United Nations agencies, NGOs, the private sector and consumers. They all should be aware of the importance of the circular economy to deal with the environmental impacts. The circular economy is an opportunity to green our society”.

Alex Saer, Director for Sectorial and Urban Environmental Affairs at Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, explained that “as a successful case, we have worked with UNIDO on eco-efficient industrial parks. We believe that this is a very important way to promote industrial symbiosis in the country, as industry is an essential part of a circular economy”.

The outcomes of the regional meetings will inform UNIDO-led global consultations on circular economy, scheduled for January-February 2021. The global consultations aim to develop a set of policy recommendations to advance the work of Member States and various stakeholders on the circular economy, thereby promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development in the framework of the United Nations’ Decade for Action.

For more information, please contact:

Alla Metelitsa

Senior Advisor, Directorate of Environment and Energy

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