EIT Climate-KIC at World Circular Economy Forum 2019

EIT Climate-KIC is playing a prominent role at the third World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) in Helsinki, 3-5 June 2019. WCEF 2019 will highlight the world’s best circular economy solutions for governments, industries, businesses and households.

EIT Climate-KIC will participate in several events at the forum, including a talk on circular economies in cities from CEO Kirsten Dunlop at the opening day on 3 June. This session will include insights on how cities can lead the change towards a circular economy as well as delve into new economic opportunities that can arise from circularity.

As part of the ‘Circular Cities’ project, a white paper will be launched by EIT Climate-KIC at a side session with a specific focus on ‘Circular procurement’, showcasing how cities can build circular procurement into ownership and contractual relations in which the products are often delivered as a service, so resources can remain in circulation as long as possible.

Circular public procurement attempts to make procurement more sustainable and recognises the major role that public authorities can play in the transition towards a circular economy. Circular public procurement could become a key instrument for leveraging many of the pressing resource challenges which face growing cities today.

Cliona Howie, responsible for circular economy development at EIT Climate-KIC, said:

“If our societies aim to reach a circular economy within the next 20 to 30 years, we need to tackle various challenges and levers at the same time to increase our impact. From policy to behaviour, finance to business models, EIT Climate-KIC is taking its mission to heart by looking at the big picture – and how we can shift processes within that system. This is reflected in the variety of our circular economy projects and initiatives.”

In addition to the white paper, a Climate Innovation Insights series will be launched at the WCEF. The circular economy offers a comparative advantage for organisations collaborating across sectors, and this insight series presents nine innovations across different scales, sectors and strategies for collaboration. 

The objectives of the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without a global circular economy. EU policies and businesses already support circular economy, but more work is required to scale circular innovations. Outputs from the event will reflect this and will include the establishment of a discourse on the EU’s net zero emissions material industry, and on the potential circular economy solutions and business models have in achieving this objective.

Full information about EIT Climate-KIC’s activities at WCEF 2019 can be found here. 

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