The major circular economy event, the World Circular Economy Forum, will be postponed until 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A virtual WCEFonline event in September 2020 will address how the circular economy can help reboot the economy.

Along with its partners, Finland’s fund for the future, Sitra, will be meeting the demand for countries’ need for tools for a sustainable recovery by hosting a virtual World Circular Economy Forum, WCEFonline, on 29-30 September 2020. By organising WCEFonline, Sitra hopes to share useful circular economy tools and solutions with the world to help tackle the recession caused by the pandemic.

The annual major circular economy event, the World Circular Economy Forum, can no longer be held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak and will be postponed until 2021. The decision to postpone the WCEF2020 has been taken by the co-hosts Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, along with all of their partners. Canada will host the WCEF in 2021.

“While it is unfortunate that the conference must be postponed due to the impact of COVID-19, the work around advancing the circular economy must continue. To help further such discussions, we will be aiming to provide opportunities for interested parties to connect virtually over the coming months. Canada looks forward to hosting the World Circular Economy Forum in Toronto at the first available opportunity in 2021,” says Minister Jonathan Wilkinson of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Dates for a rescheduled WCEF in 2021, hosted in Toronto by the Government of Canada in partnership with Finland and Sitra, will be revealed in due course following further discussion with partners. To be held for the first time in North America, the WCEF2021 will continue the work of previous forums and showcase the sustainable pathways needed to help the global economy recover and to advance the transition to the circular economy around the world.

Rescheduling the annual forum to 2021 will ensure that all parties can participate and focus on the issues to be discussed at this vital conference, as well as allow more time for the necessary preparations to take place. 

“Once we have overcome the immediate crisis, the recession must be met with decisive measures that encourage the transition to a carbon-neutral circular economy. This also helps us make better use of our limited resources,” says Sitra’s President Jyrki Katainen about the reasons for organising WCEFonline.

With WCEFonline, it is possible to share leading circular economy solutions across the world to enable a sustainable recovery, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “It gives key circular economy thinkers and doers from around the world the opportunity to share their solutions. For example, the European Green Deal is leading Europe towards a more circular future,” Katainen says.

(Image: Topias Dean, Sitra)