World’s top circular economy event brings economy reformers to Yokohama, Japan

More than 1,000 attendees are examining how businesses can seize new opportunities, gain a competitive advantage through circular economy solutions and how the circular economy contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and keeping global warming below 1.5 Celsius.

The WCEF2018 is presenting the world’s best circular economy solutions. The event is being hosted by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and co-organised with selected international partners.

The universal perception of progress has been based on growing consumption, which demands the constantly increasing production of goods at progressively lower prices. Now the world urgently needs systemic change and sustainable solutions to tackle the climate crisis. One key solution is the circular economy – decoupling resource use from economic growth, a way to end our era of overconsumption.

The World Circular Economy Forum offers a platform for developers of the new, more efficient economy. The WCEF2018 will focus on building the future visions for the circular economy towards the year 2050. Topics that will be discussed include economic benefits and social equity of the circular economy, energy and climate solutions for a circular economy, global value chains and circular trade, as well as mobility revolution for a circular economy and circular solutions for reducing plastic waste.

The WCEF2018 speakers include the Japanese Minister of the Environment Yoshiaki Harada; Finland’s Minister for the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen; Vice-president of the European Commission Jyrki Katainen; CEO of GEF Naoko Ishii and the former Brazilian Environment Minister and Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme Izabella Teixeira.

The event will also bring forward Japan’s story of how it has become one of the leading circular economy nations in the world, and detail Japan’s best practices for bringing the private and public sectors together.

“In Finland, we have decided to apply new means in our quest for prosperity – a novel, more efficient economy and a total transformation in the way we think. A wave of change is currently surging through Finnish companies, government administration and schoolchildren alike,” says Mari Pantsar, who leads the theme area for a carbon neutral circular economy at Sitra.

The WCEF2018 is consisting of 17 plenary and parallel sessions with keynotes speeches, thematic discussions and networking opportunities.

The event can be watched live online at http://www.wcef2018.com/