2021 African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) Annual Meeting

The 2021 African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) Annual Meeting comprises a series of events that will take place on the sidelines of the World Circular Economy Forum+Climate. The Annual Meeting will gather key stakeholders to explore the implications of the Alliance’s report “Five Big Bets for the Circular Economy in Africa”, which was conducted to identify prospects in the African market. Five opportunity areas, eponymously referred to as the “Five Big Bets,” were mapped as highly promising sectors for upscaling circular value chains in Africa.  These include food systems, packaging, the built environment, fashion & textiles, and electronics.

The 2021 Annual Meeting will also include a series of thematic workshops organized with two of the Alliance’s strategic partners, Sitra and the KAS Foundation.

Program

• Thematic Workshop: “Designing National Circular Economy Roadmaps” (with Sitra)

When: Wednesday, 14 April
Time: 9:00-10:15 GMT

This technical session will highlight the benefits and the rationale for designing national circular economy roadmaps that are aligned with countries’ development priorities and the twin objectives of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. Sitra, the Finnish innovation fund, will present its guidebook “How to Create a National Circular Economy Roadmap.” The session will showcase a case study from Nigeria, followed by an interactive Q&A between the audience and the presenters. Confirmed speakers include:

• Kari Herlevi, Project Director, Sitra
• Dr. Innocent Onah, Joint Coordinator, Nigeria Circular Economy Working Group
• David McGinty, Global Director, Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) 

Register here.

• Thematic Workshop: “Uncovering Circular Economy Opportunities in Africa’s Mining Sector” (with KAS Foundation)

When: Wednesday, 14 April
Time: 13:00-14:00 GMT

African economies rely heavily on extractive industries, including the mining sector. Simultaneously, the rising global demand for minerals and metals drives the growth of the mining sector in Africa. This workshop will discuss circular economy opportunities in the mining sector and highlight the role that relevant actors can play to help African countries transition to a low-carbon economy. The panel discussion will also reflect on the steps that are required to translate circular economy ambition into action. Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr. Claude Kabemba, Executive Director, Southern African Resource Watch
• Dr. Ross Harvey, Director of Research & Programme at Good Governance Africa
• Anja Casper-Beretta, Head of Regional Program for Energy Security & Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, KAS Foundation.

Register here.

• Launch of the ACEA’s Report “Five Big Bets for the Circular Economy in Africa”

When: Thursday, 15 April
Time 9:00-10:15 GMT

This session will share the key findings of the ACEA’s market research and invite key stakeholders to drive the circular agenda forward. Participants will also discuss the implications of the report. The keynote speech will be given by Muhammad Mahmood, Nigerian Minister of Environment and co-chair of the Alliance. Confirmed panelists include:

• Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwandan Minister of Environment and co-chair of the Alliance
• Jyrki Katainen, Sitra President

Register here.

The African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA)

The African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) is a government-led coalition of African nations and global partners committed to advancing the circular economy transition at the national, regional and continental levels. It was conceived in 2016 during the World Economic Forum on Africa in Kigali and formally launched at COP 23 in Bonn in 2017. Since 2019, the ACEA secretariat has been hosted at the African Development Bank.

More information: http://www.aceaafrica.org/

African Development Bank Group