During the forum, several interesting reports, initiatives, plans, programmes and tools were launched. We’ve collected these tangible outcomes in the forum summary—have a look and pick your list of useful tools!
At the World Circular Economy Forum WCEF2026, businesses underlined the growing demand for valuable materials as a topical opportunity for circularity. Next WCEF will take place in New York on 8–11 June 2027.
The tenth edition of the World Circular Economy Forum, WCEF2026, held in Gandhinagar, India, identified the conditions needed to unlock investment in circular solutions.
The understanding that investments in circular economy solutions require predictable policies, functioning markets, reliable data and integrated value chains, raised among 2,600 experts.
The world is facing enormous challenges in securing the necessary materials for coming decades. The UN’s International Resource Panel (IRP), a WCEF science partner, has estimated that without urgent and concerted action to change the way resources are used, material resource extraction could increase by almost 60 per cent from 2020 levels by 2060, from 100 to 160 billion, due to lifestyles characterised by overconsumption.
Participants at the WCEF2026 identified opportunities to change the vision described by the IRP.
“In addition to virgin raw materials, an increasing number of companies and policymakers are considering circular solutions, such as recognising and using electronic waste as a source of valuable critical raw materials” says Kari Herlevi, Programme Director at the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the initiator of the WCEF.
The view was confirmed by Ankit Todi, Chief Sustainability Officer of one of India’s largest business conglomerates, Mahindra Group, in his interview for the WCEF.
“We are seeing a lot more, both regulatory support as well as traction in terms of how meaningful this can be, more economic value for the organisation as a whole” he stated.
The 10th edition of the World Circular Economy Forum took place from 15 to 18 September 2026. Following the main event, 75 accelerator sessions bridged the forum’s themes with the daily work needed for a circular transition. The forum also acted as a platform for several international meetings. The WCEF2026 Expo Area brought into the spotlight innovative and scalable circular economy solutions from around the world by 135 exhibitors.
The theme of this year’s forum was “Circular economy: Transition for people and prosperity.” WCEF2026 was 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.
Annual Circular Awards by the European Union Circular Economy Resource Centre (EU CERC) were given to Brazilian and Kenyan actors. The business awards went to Kijani Testing of Kenya in the Young Woman Entrepreneur category and Indústria Fox of Brazil in the Electronics & ICT category. The policy implementation award winner also came from Brazil: the State of Rio de Janeiro.
The Circular Awards is an annual recognition for public and private sector achievements in advancing the circular economy in EU partner countries. The Business Awards recognise and celebrate innovative circular economy companies, while the Policy Award goes to a public sector entity which effectively implemented a circular economy policy. Winners receive a support package worth up to EUR 10,000 as well as an opportunity to present their work at the World Circular Economy Forum WCEF.
The World Circular Economy Forum 2027 will be held in New York on 8–11 June 2027. WCEF2027 will be hosted jointly by the Columbia Climate School and New York University and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. The Government of the Netherlands will continue its longstanding partnership with the WCEF as an Enabling Partner of next year’s edition.
“WCEF2026 in Gandhinagar was an extraordinary collaboration by circularity leaders from India, Finland, and around the world. We are very much looking forward to continuing the conversation and helping to advance circular solutions in New York City at WCEF2027” says Sandra Goldmark, Professor of Practice and Associate Dean of Columbia Climate School.
Check the WCEF2026 media page for the logo. Photographs taken during the event have been added to the material bank. On the media page you’ll find also background information about the WCEF and circular economy as well.
Samuli Laita, Media liaison of the WCEF, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, samuli.laita@sitra.fi, tel. +358 40 5368 650
Deepti Kapil, Additional Director, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India, deepti.kapil@nic.in
Snehal Tripathi, Special Adviser on Communications, Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, snehal.tripathi@gov.fi
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.
State of Rio de Janeiro wins the circular policy implementation award while Kijani Testing and Indústria Fox win the 2026 circular business awards.
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.
“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.
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:
In addition, numerous side events will take place in the weeks surrounding the forum across the world.
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.
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:
Check the WCEF2026 media page for the logo. Pictures will be added to the material bank during and after the event.
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
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.
This year, we have an exceptional offer for all friends of WCEF who want to join the forum in person. We have a limited number of seats reserved for newcomers from outside India. Sorry, but we’re fully booked now and can’t receive any mor requests for a personal invitation to the forum!
Organised by anyone, anywhere, WCEF Studios are events that bring the World Circular Economy Forum to local audiences and enable networking and collaboration at the local level. Application period has ended on 28 August, thank you to all who applied.
The WCEF2026 Expo will showcase ground-breaking circular economy innovations from across the globe. Get ready to present your solution to international leaders, investors and change-makers in Gandhinagar, India in September. The application period ended on 17 August (extended deadline).
