About WCEF
The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) is the world’s leading event for circular economy thinkers, doers and leaders. WCEF is a global initiative of Finland and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
WCEF helps create a new economy, businesses and jobs, by leveraging circular solutions to solve the planetary crises. The forum is a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise, building networks and partnerships, and advancing the transition to a circular economy. More than 2,000 business leaders, policymakers and experts from around the world participate in the annual forum to present the world’s best circular economy solutions.
The annual forum takes place over two days somewhere around the world. The WCEF main event consists of plenary and parallel sessions with keynote speeches, thematic discussions and networking opportunities such as an expo area. Held since 2017, the forum has so far been hosted in Africa (Rwanda), Asia (Japan), Europe (Belgium, Finland and The Netherlands), North America (Canada), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazil).
Participate online
In-person participation at the forum is by invitation only. Invitation lists are built in collaboration with partners and are constrained by venue capacity. However, online participation is open to everyone, free of charge. You can order our newsletter below to stay informed of when online registration opens.
Themes
Each annual WCEF has a different theme. Past themes have included, e.g., circular solutions for nature, mobilising action, systemic change, scaling up solutions and visions of the future. In 2022, when the event took place in Rwanda, “from Africa to the world” was the theme. During the Covid pandemic and economic recession of 2020, the theme was how circular solutions could reboot the economy. The first forum, in 2017, introduced key elements of a circular economy and showcased solutions from around the world.
Complementary events
In addition to the annual main forum, WCEF offers complementary non-commercial events which support the circular transition.
WCEF Studios broadcast sessions from the main event, typically with locally relevant circular economy topics. They give easy access to people who are not able to join the forum in person or who find the full two days’ programme a bit heavy. These take place during the main event or immediately following it.
WCEF Accelerator Sessions are organised by collaborators to 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 more attention and detail on specific topics. Anyone can apply to organise accelerator sessions. These take place on the two days following the main forum and can be held in person or online.
WCEF Expo is held during the annual main event. At the expo, organisations present their circular economy solutions and network.
WCEF+ events can be organised throughout the year. These are smaller, regional or thematic circular economy-related events. Example: WCEF+Climate.
The popular WCEF Side Events are conducted by independent organisers who present circular economy solutions from around the globe. They address specific topics related to the circular economy and the role circularity plays in the economies of the future, as well as in the fight against climate change and the nature crisis. Side events can take place any time throughout the year except during the main forum, and they can be held in person or online.
Interested in organising or joining circular economy-related events around the globe? Please see the side events page for more information and apply to get your event listed! The open calls for applications (accelerators, expo and studios) are announced on the annual forum’s website.
Hosts and partners
The annual WCEF main event is hosted by Sitra and a selected country host and organised together with global and local partners. Alongside governments and ministries, partners include organisations such as Circle Economy Foundation, the European Commission, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Governments of Finland and the Netherlands, the International Resource Panel (IRP) hosted by UNEP, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Discover more about organising WCEF events and becoming a partner.
