India’s circular economy vision​

15 Sep 2026 at 10:30–11:30 (UTC+5:30)
Session type: Plenary
Focus: Governance, Industry, Resilience, System change, Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia / Australasia / Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals
Decent work and economic growth Industry, innovation and infrastructure Partnerships for the goals Responsible consumption and production

This session highlights India’s leadership in developing scalable circular economy solutions for a resource-constrained world, while positioning the Global South as a key driver, rather than a follower of the global circular transition.

Drawing on India’s long-standing traditions of resource efficiency alongside modern industrial innovation, the session explores the country’s steady shift from a ‘take-make-dispose’ linear economy model to a resource-efficient, circular design, and extended producer responsibility.

The session will provide a science-based global perspective on the state of the circular economy while examining how national and state-level circular economy initiatives are transforming India’s growth model and reducing its global material footprint.

Organiser(s): Central Pollution Control Board of India (CPCB), Sitra the Finnish Innovation Fund

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