Representatives from UNEP will be participating in the following events during WCEF2025.
13 May | 11:30–12:30 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerating the Just Energy Transition with a Responsible Critical Minerals Lifecycle
This session will explore how circular economy approaches can ensure that the increasing demand for critical energy transition minerals contributes to sustainable development. Discussions will focus on technology, financing, and policies that respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities affected by mining activities. Best practices and country examples will be highlighted to showcase responsible investments in the mineral lifecycle.
13 May | 14:30–15:30 hrs (GMT-3) | Perspectives on Circular Water from the Global South
The plenary session will focus on exploring how circular economy principles and strategies can transform water management in the Global South, focusing on shared lessons, and innovations. Case studies from Africa and Latin America will showcase circular approaches, inspiring participants to drive water-secure futures.
Register here.
13 May | 16:00–17:30 hrs (GMT-3): The Circular Economy as the Pathway to Climate and Nature Targets
The International Resource Panel is co-leading the organization of this plenary session, which will discuss the pivotal role of the circular economy in achieving global climate and biodiversity goals. It will address how circular practices can serve as effective pathways to meet these critical targets.
14 May | 14:30–15:30 hrs (GMT-3) | Empowering Informal Workers: Pathways to an Inclusive Circular Economy
This plenary session will highlight the informal workforce’s critical role in driving the circular economy, emphasizing the importance of pro-poor, context-specific and holistic approaches. Through a critical examination of the opportunities, constraints and challenges, the speakers will delve into what is needed to ensure inclusive integration of workers into formal circular economy policies, projects, and investments. They will gather voices from various regions and sectors, offer diverse perspectives on the synergies of informality and circularity, and demonstrate that circular economy can be a tool for development.
Register here.
14 May | 16:00–17:30 hrs (GMT-3) | The circular economy as a tool for global development
This session will explore the opportunities of circular solutions in driving sustainable development globally. It will also emphasise the Southern and Northern hemispheres’ integration, the relevance of regional diversities and implementing circularity from a global perspective. We will dive deeper into how the circular economy can promote growth and well-being and explore what different regions can learn from each other.
Accelerator sessions led by UNEP: 15-16 May
15 May | 08:00–09:30 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator Session: "Circularity in the Built Environment-From Measurement to Policy and Practice"
This WCEF2025 Accelerator Session will spotlight three consensus-driven internationally recognised policy recommendations for advancing circularity in the built environment. Developed under the GlobalABC Materials Hub (hosted by UNEP and co-led with the One Planet Network and Life Cycle Initiative), these recommendations offer a roadmap to accelerate systemic change.
Panelists will explore the value of establishing a circularity baseline, the critical need for policy and measurement frameworks at national and building levels, such as the "Global Framework for Action to harness circular and sustainable public procurement to drive demand for near-zero and a resilient built environment", and practical tools for assessing progress through the "National Circularity Assessment Framework for Buildings". Global case studies will show how the 10 Whole Life Cycle Recommendations for the Buildings Breakthrough are being brought to life, tuning policy into practice. This session is essential for stakeholders across the buildings and construction value change working at the intersection of sustainability, construction and policy making, and those looking to drive measurable impact in the built environment.
Register here.
15 May | 09:00–15:00 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator Session: Circular Economy Policies: Connecting Regions, Sharing Solutions
UNEP and the African Development Bank are joining hands to organize an Accelerator Session, under the auspices of The Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE), the Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC CEC), and the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA): Circular Economy Policies: Connecting Regions, Sharing Solutions.
This Session targets policymakers and will provide a peer-to-peer exchange space. It will be structured around four key themes:
- During this session, government representatives will exchange experiences on developing and implementing circular economy roadmaps tailored to their national contexts.
- As countries prepare for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 3.0 revisions, this Accelerator Session will also be an opportunity to explore how integrating circular approaches into NDCs and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans can accelerate climate and nature goals while driving socio-economic transformation.
- Participants will then have a chance to engage in an interactive discussion focusing on actionable solutions for public and private actors to mobilize and scale up financing for the circular transition.
- In the afternoon, the Session Shaping Circular Food Futures: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Scale Up Innovations will enable policymakers to showcase successful policy solutions that integrate circularity into agri-food systems.
Register here.
15 May | 10:30–12:00 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator session: Locally Delivered Support, Lasting Impact: Scaling SME Circularity
Explore the vital role of local business support organizations (BSOs) in helping SMEs implement circularity practices. This session demonstrates how BSOs are uniquely positioned to provide innovative solutions to SMEs' circularity challenges and highlights the importance of their access to a global community of expertise and knowledge for effective delivery.
Gain insights from experienced National Cleaner Production Centers and regional and international programmes as they share success stories and practical strategies for scaling impactful initiatives and fostering lasting SME engagement in circularity at the local level.
Register here.
15 May | 15:00–16:30 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator Session: Circular Economy beyond SDG12: scaling pathways for a Just Transition
This session will explore the transformative role of circular economy strategies in enabling a just transition. It will showcase collaborative efforts to integrate bio-based solutions and enhance resource efficiency across key sectors such as energy, agri-food systems, and industry and bring examples of supporting policies, financing mechanisms, and innovation ecosystems that empower local actors and ensure inclusive, equitable participation in the transition.
UNEP will contribute insights from PAGE member countries, building on findings from national circularity roadmaps, the session will address financial and trade enablers for circular solutions and examine gaps in global governance. Case studies will demonstrate how circular practices—such as recycling, remanufacturing, and waste recovery—can contribute to economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and social equity. The session will also foster exchange among EU, Brazilian, and broader Latin American actors, supporting high-level uptake of circularity principles in post-2030 global frameworks and building momentum ahead of COP30.
Register here.
15 May | 16:30–19:00 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator Session: Harmonizing Finance Guidelines to Unlock Circular Economy Investment
This event will bring together key private financial institutions, development partners and policy leaders from around the globe to explore approaches for scaling investments that contribute to a circular economy. The session will present a multistakeholder initiative to contribute to harmonized circular economy financing guidelines. It will also hold a global dialogue on the role of financial institutions in unlocking circular economy investments. UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) will contribute insights on solutions that can help financial institutions expand circular business opportunities, and on sectoral circular economy financing guidelines currently under development. This session organised by the IFC will be of interest to public and private finance actors as well as to businesses and policymakers.
Register here.
16 May | 09:00–11:00 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator Session: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools to Accelerate Circularity Actions
Discover the range of complementary digital tools which can empower policymakers and businesses to easily navigate an ocean of knowledge, assess actions to date, and track progress throughout their circular economy journey.
Join us to explore real-world applications of these digital tools and learn how connecting them through a central platform helps users quickly identify and implement the solutions that best match their needs, accelerating the transition to circularity.
Register here.
16 May | 12:00–14:00 hrs (GMT-3) | Accelerator Session: Economic drivers for circularity: Secondary materials and beyond
This session will explore the enabling conditions needed to scale circular economy transitions through stronger macroeconomic policy, trade and financial support. It will bring together insights from national circularity roadmaps, PAGE modelling work on secondary materials markets, and global employment estimates to identify policy priorities that link circularity with decent work and economic inclusion. UNEP will present its Global Circular Economy Macroeconomic Model, currently under development. This model aims to provide policymakers with tools to assess the economic and social implications of circular economy policies at global level supporting evidence-based decision-making. Speakers will highlight how countries are addressing persistent barriers such as fragmented governance, underinvestment and weak infrastructure, while advancing partnerships that share the costs and benefits of circular transitions. The session will also look at global governance gaps and explore what leadership is needed post-2030 to align national circularity efforts with broader development and climate goals.
Register here.
16 May | 14:00–17:00 hrs (GMT-3) | Circular Management of Organics: Pathways to Prevent Food Waste While Reducing GHG Emissions (Hybrid Event)
Food is lost and wasted along the entire food production value chain, creating significant emissions and missed opportunities for resource efficiency. This hybrid session will convene experts to explore innovative approaches to managing food and organic waste, highlighting the critical role of waste reduction in achieving circular economy goals. Participants will gain insights into the current status and key challenges in combating food loss and waste, discover practical solutions for system improvement, and learn about inspiring, context-specific cases that can be replicated elsewhere. The session will also examine the climate mitigation potential of organic waste valorisation, offering pathways for both public and private sectors to achieve their environmental goals.
Join us for an in-depth discussion on the policies, partnerships, and innovations shaping the future of food and organic waste management.
Register for the session.
Other UNEP engagement
12 & 16 May | São Paulo | Building Circularity into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for LAC”
The UNEP/10YFP, UNDP and UNFCCC digital toolbox platform supports countries to assess, prioritize, implement, and track circular economy interventions to raise NDC ambition and support implementation, including the context of a just and inclusive transition to a circular economy. As a part of this joint project, the partners are organising a capacity-building workshop on the toolbox which aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Help build the capacities of policymakers on how to integrate circular economy measures in their new NDC by using the toolbox – through live collective demonstrations and deep-dive exercises;
- Provide a platform for policymakers to share experiences, exchange best practices and lessons learned and identify opportunities for circular economy integration into NDCs;
- Build a community of policymakers who are working on circular economy and climate and enable them to foster collaboration on these two agendas; and
- Share feedback with the partners on the toolbox for future iterations.
