World Circular Economy Forum 2026 unveils keys to unlock trillions of circular value in the Global South
Gandhinagar / Helsinki – Countries across the Global South possess a still hardly recognised opportunity to capture trillions of dollars in untapped value, strengthen economic resilience and create local jobs. This is possible by moving beyond raw material exports and scaling circular economy industries. This opportunity will be at the heart of activities at the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 (WCEF2026), taking place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, from 15 to 18 September.
Samuli Laita
“Many countries in the Global South are rich in materials the world urgently needs for batteries, electronics, renewable energy systems and emerging technologies. The question is no longer whether demand will grow, but who will capture the value created from these materials,” says Atte Jääskeläinen, President of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the initiator of WCEF.
According to recent global estimates by WCEF’s partner, Dutch think-tank Circle Economy, more than USD 25 trillion of value is lost globally every year across product lifecycles and value chains, including more than USD 5 trillion during material extraction, refining and initial processing alone. At the same time, the global economy remains only around 7 percent circular. Furthermore, a recent report by WCEF’s scientific partner, the UN’s International Resource Panel, reveals that each person uses more than 13 tonnes of virgin materials annually. This means that most materials are still used inefficiently and their value is lost after a single use.
Thousands of experts, dozens of sessions
WCEF2026 will bring together business leaders, investors, policymakers and innovators from around the world to explore how the circular economy can help countries and companies prosper in a resource-constrained world while strengthening resilience, competitiveness and sustainable growth. The theme of the tenth edition of the forum is “Circular economy: Transition for people and prosperity.”
WCEF2026 is organised jointly by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MoEFCC) and the Governments of India and Finland, in coordination with the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control board (GPCB), in collaboration with global and Indian partners.
The event’s comprehensive programme encompasses 6 plenary sessions that address cross-cutting themes of the circular economy and 16 parallel sessions. There will be several studios across the globe featuring topics from the main event and raising local discussions. The forum also has an expo area for organisations to present their circular economy work.
Following the main forum, more than 60 accelerator sessions organised by WCEF collaborators bridge the forum’s themes with the daily work needed for a circular transition. These sessions give an opportunity for deeper audience engagement and allow deep dives into specific topics. Some examples of these sessions’ titles include:
- Scaling circular business: From innovation to investment and partnerships
- The circular mine above ground: Turning urban mining into strategic material reserves
- Circular supply chains in action: Transitioning towards solutions in fashion and construction
- Financeable circular waste pilots
- Closing the loop on critical energy transition minerals
- Second charge: Unlocking EV battery value as energy storage
- From fibre to finance: Unlocking circular textile clusters
- Borderless circular manufacturing and Industry 5.0
In addition, numerous side events will take place in the weeks surrounding the forum across the world.
Online press briefing on 8 September
Want to learn more? The organisers of the forum will share their thoughts and answer questions in an online press briefing a week ahead of the forum, on 8 September 09:00 (UTC-3) / 12:00 (UTC) / 15:00 (EEST/UTC+3) / 17:30 (ITC/UTC+5:30). The briefing is limited to representatives of the media and will take place on Teams.
Media representatives are required to register for the briefing by 7 September 10:00 (UTC-3) / 13:00 (UTC) / 16:00 (EEST/UTC+3) / 18:30 (ITC/UTC+5:30) here: https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/wcef2026_Online_media_briefing
Registered journalists will be provided with the meeting link.
Accreditation to the main event
Journalists and media representatives can participate either on site in Gandhinagar or online. Accreditation and further media information is still open . Please fill in the registration form:
- for on-site participation at Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gandhinagar, India (15-16 September) – deadline: 3 September
- for online participation
WCEF2026 logo and photos
Check the WCEF2026 media page for the logo. Pictures will be added to the material bank during and after the event.
Media contacts
Samuli Laita, Media liaison of the WCEF, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, samuli.laita@sitra.fi, tel. +358 40 5368650
Deepti Kapil, Additional Director, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India, deepti.kapil@nic.in
Snehal Tripathi, Special Adviser on Communications, Embassy of Finland, India, snehal.tripathi@gov.fi
For editors
The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) is the world’s leading event on the circular economy. It provides a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise, building networks and partnerships, and advancing the transition to a circular economy. WCEF is an annual event organised by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, with international partners. The forum brings together leaders from business, government, academia and civil society to explore global issues related to the circular economy and to find solutions to the challenges facing the world.
The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra is an active fund for the future addressing societal challenges that shape our world. Together with partners we develop solutions, enhance well-being and boost economic growth within Earth’s carrying capacity. Founded in 1967, we are an independent public fund operating directly under the supervision of the Finnish Parliament. Sitra has received global recognition for accelerating the world’s transition to a circular economy and is the founder of the World Circular Economy Forum.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, passed by Parliament in September 1974. CPCB is entrusted with the powers and functions under the Water Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and various waste management rules notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.