The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) is an annual global forum that brings together policymakers, businesses, international organizations, experts and practitioners to share solutions and advance the transition to a circular economy. Launched in 2017 by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, WCEF takes place in a different part of the world each year, helping connect global discussions on circularity with regional and national action.  

WCEF2026 marks the Forum’s 10th edition and its first time in South Asia, taking place in Gandhinagar, India, from 15–18 September 2026. Under the theme “Circular economy: Transition for people and prosperity,” this year’s Forum looks at how circular solutions can strengthen prosperity and resilience while reducing pressure on natural resources. The Main Programme of the Forum takes place on 15–16 September, followed by Accelerator Sessions organized by WCEF partners on 17–18 September.

As an official partner to the WCEF, UNDP will (co-) lead sessions during the Main event programme, contribute speakers to panels and co-organize Accelerator Sessions, sharing experiences from its circular economy work across countries and sectors and contributing to discussions on how circular approaches can move from policy and ambition to implementation on the ground.

You can join the forum online for free. Register here.  

Why circular economy matters

Our current economy is predominantly linear, it extracts, produces, uses and discards resources, putting growing pressure on climate, nature and human health. Only 6.9 percent of materials used globally are currently cycled back into the economy after use (Circularity Gap Report 2025). At the same time, the extraction and processing of material resources are major drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, water stress and pollution.

Circular economy strategies are a prime example of an integrated approach that can help accelerate climate action, reduce waste and pollution, and contribute to protecting and restoring biodiversity and nature – while simultaneously producing new economic opportunities, fostering new innovations and markets, and advancing sustainable development priorities.

The transition to a circular economy therefore goes well beyond recycling or waste management. It requires significant changes in the way products, services and processes are designed, produced and consumed, as well as the policies, financing, infrastructure, markets and business models that shape these systems.

UNDP and the circular economy

UNDP works across countries and sectors to support the shift towards more circular and resource-efficient economies. Our approach connects circular economy action with climate ambition, biodiversity protection, pollution prevention, sustainable finance, governance, livelihoods and inclusive growth, helping ensure that circular transitions are not only environmentally effective, but also socially just and economically viable.

UNDP’s circular economy work spans the full transition pathway: strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks; unlocking finance for circular value chains; supporting circular business models; advancing eco-design and resource efficiency; enabling technology transfer; improving material recovery; and building the institutional capacities needed to move from ambition and planning to implementation on the ground.

These approaches are applied across high-impact sectors including electronics, plastics, textiles, construction, tourism, agriculture, industrial processes and cities, among others, both at the city and national level through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, bringing together governments, financiers, communities, the private sector, workers, young people and other agents of change.

UNDP at WCEF2026

As part of the Main Programme of the Forum and the Accelerator Sessions, UNDP and its partners share experiences and explore how circular economy approaches can be applied to cities and urban systems, informal work, resource recovery, business and finance, coastal and marine economies, and textile and construction supply chains.

The sessions draw on practical country experiences and focus on the conditions needed to make circular solutions work at scale and speed — including governance, policy, finance, innovation, partnerships, business models and social inclusion.