Regional Deep Dive: Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean Joining Forces for Circularity, 15 September 2021

By September 8, 2021 September 8, 2021 Events
  • When: Wednesday 15 September at 09:00-10:30 EDT (UTC-4)
  • How to join: Register on the Zoom link here.

join the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America & the Caribbean for the virtual event Regional deep dive: Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean joining forces for circularity, held on the margins of the 2021 World Circular Economy Forum.

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Fast-growing populations and urbanization combined with rising standards and aspirations of living and economic modernization are shaping the future of sustainable development in the Global South. The African region and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in particular will face significant transformations over the next decades. The recent pandemic-induced recession exposed the vulnerability of resource-dependent economies, as well as the social inequalities, which predominates in both regions, reinforcing the urgent need to consider a new development paradigm that enables economic diversification, resilience building and social inclusion.

The principles of circularity have long been practiced in Africa and LAC, where sustainable practices such as permaculture, community sharing, and the use of biomaterials find their roots in indigenous lifestyles. Rich biodiversity presents in hotspots such as the Amazon forest and the Congo Basin, also constitutes a unique heritage for the regions which now face an existential threat due to climate change, natural habitat encroachment and pollution.

This session, hosted by the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and the LAC Circular Economy Coalition (LAC-CEC), will serve as a regional dialogue to frame a common understanding on how the circular economy can accelerate the transition to climate-friendly, restauration, and inclusive development in the Global South. Innovative solutions will be showcased as examples for replication, while the type of policies and financing required to scale up circular value-chains will be discussed.

This event is supported by the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals initiative (GO4SDGs), African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Click here for more details.