12:00-13:15 (UTC+3)

The circular economy as an accelerator for a sustainable recovery

Lead organisers: The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra with the European Commission

The opening session explains the current state of the global economy and elaborates how the circular economy could help the economy reboot and come back better than before. It also makes a strong case for circularity in combatting climate change and biodiversity loss. The circular economy provides opportunities to reboot the economy, but the world needs good examples and investments. This session will address the recovery in the context of the European Green Deal, bringing into the discussion the role of private and public financing as well as presenting ongoing actions.

15:00-16:15 (UTC+3)

COVID-19’s consequences on corporate circularity

Lead organiser: World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Since the beginning of the year, companies from all industries have wrestled with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has resulted in both negative and positive consequences on companies’ circular transition. This session is an honest discussion of those consequences and how business is stepping up to use the circular economy as a tool to become more resilient and prosperous in a post-COVID-19 economy.

18:00-19:15 (UTC+3)

The journey to a circular economy in the Canada-US region

Lead organisers: Circular Economy Leadership Coalition with the United Nations Environment Programme and Ellen MacArthur Foundation

How will advancing a regional Canada/US circular economy be different from the experience in Europe and in other parts of the world? Circularity provides a unifying vision for tackling our interlinked crises, from the pandemic to pollution, while spurring innovation and future-proofing prosperity. We are bringing together circular economy leaders from across Canada and the US to seek understanding of the barriers and opportunities for our existing energy, resource and manufacturing sectors, and to foster the creation of new engines of growth based on changing global consumption and employment patterns. Join us for an interactive dialogue with a diverse group of business leaders and policymakers who will identify priority areas for collaboration.

12:00-13:15 (UTC+3)

Fostering inclusivity with circularity in Africa’s post COVID-19 recovery

Lead organiser: African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA)

Economic diversification is a key climate adaptation strategy that helps increase the resilience of livelihoods and income security for a fair and inclusive transition to climate change-resilient development. This session will cover how a circular economy – by its core principle of decoupling economic growth from resource consumption – has the potential to be a catalyst for low-emission and climate friendly development in Africa.

15:00-16:15 (UTC+3)

Partnering through change: new momentum in the emerging circular economy

Lead organiser: Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)

Partnering is not a new concept but is now more relevant than ever. Rebooting the economy requires more than solving our current problems. This session will cover how cross sector partnerships can move beyond problem solving to evolving our systems and value chains to support the recovery using circular solutions.

18:00-19:15 (UTC+3)

Enabling the circular economy: the role of policy and finance

Lead organiser: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

The closing session will wrap up WCEFonline with discussions on the critical role of finance and policy. It shows how the circular economy becomes more relevant than ever in the context of the current pandemic, as it offers a pathway to redefined growth and enhanced resilience. As the finance sector and policymakers around the globe look to invest and reset, this session discusses what role they can play in enabling and accelerating the transition to a circular economy and defining the steps for our work in the future.