World Circular Economy Forum 2026 to be Held in Gandhinagar
India will host the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from September 15 to 18. It will be the first WCEF edition held in South Asia. The forum theme is “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity.”
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel will jointly inaugurate the forum on September 15. Gujarat Minister Shri Arjunbhai Modhwadia, Finland’s Ambassador Mikko Kivikoski and Netherlands official Marieke Spijkerboer will also attend.
The Central Pollution Control Board, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Government of Finland, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Pollution Control Board will jointly organise the event.
Global Forum on Circular Economy
More than 2,000 stakeholders from over 65 countries will participate. Business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, policymakers and academicians will attend the discussions.
The forum will focus on circular finance, private investment, policy dialogue and cross-sector partnerships. It will also examine digitalisation and technology.
The September 15–16 programme will feature four plenaries and 16 parallel thematic sessions. Topics will include artificial intelligence, employment, energy production, finance and governance. Other sessions will cover sustainable products, industrial solutions, start-ups and youth leadership.
An international expo will feature more than 125 exhibitors. They will showcase practical circular economy solutions.
10 YFP Board Meeting and Accelerator Sessions
The forum will host the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10 YFP) Board meeting on September 15. India has recently assumed the Co-Chair role of the 10 YFP Board.
Global collaborators will conduct 80 accelerator sessions on September 17–18. The forum will conclude with a formal handover to the next host.
The World Circular Economy Forum 2026 will highlight circular economy principles as a pathway to a sustainable, resilient and prosperous global economy.
