AFRICA CIRCULAR - THE 1ST PAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY



The pressure on resources and raw materials increases globally – and the African continent is no exception; it can and will be hit hard unless a far more resource-efficient economy as well as an effective management of these resources are established systematically. While often perceived as a sole origin of primary resources and raw materials, Africa’s consumption of products using these raw materials and resources is also growing rapidly. 



Africa’s environmental footprint continues to increase due to economic growth in various regions, population growth, and rapid urbanisation. Circular principles and approaches provide solutions for these challenges, namely for industries and the economy at large, for people, and for cities and regions. 



Africa has been using circular principles for generations – and there are endless opportunities to maintain those principles, increase their adoption where it makes economic and environmental sense as well as develop new products and new services based on a circular approach. 



This is not only an opportunity but will increasingly become a necessity, particularly in Africa’s megacities, in industrial hubs and a broad range of industries but also in peri-urban and rural areas. A circular approach to economic activity provides a multitude of opportunities for new products and services to emerge – enabled by new “circular” business models and appropriate technologies, the opportunities for agriculture, manufacturing and waste avoidance can be harnessed to improve livelihoods, increase resilience in local communities, contribute to a sustainable growth model and reduce poverty in Africa.



While Circular Economy approaches, products and business models are strongly pushed for in Asia and Europe, mainly by policy-makers but also certain industries, there is also a growing CE community in Africa. The African Circular Economy Network brings this continuously growing community together and was already a co-organiser of a first circular economy event, the “South Africa - EU Dialogue on Sustainability Transition: the Role of the Circular Economy” in Durban, South Africa, in 2017 in cooperation with the Government of South Africa and the European Union.



In partnership with leading organisations, governments and programs, ACEN will organise Africa Circular, the 1^st Pan-African Conference on the Circular Economy, preceded and prepared by a series of 5 regional workshops, as a unique gathering to create a powerful dynamic for the necessary transition to a more circular economy in Africa.

Further information is below. If you would like to support Africa Circular financially or through in-kind resources, please send us an email to: info@acen.africa.