News
Experts from the EU Circular Economy Resource Centre (EU CERC) spent a productive week in Kenya in December 2025. The visit was aligned with two major events: the DGI Summit at the annual Latitude59 Africa-tech event, followed by the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7).
Journalist
Published
18.12.2025
The EU CERC team participated in key meetings, met numerous stakeholders and organised two sessions. UNEA released its Global Environment Outlook 7 report (GEO-7) during their visit.
“This landmark report calls for ‘circular economy models that reduce material footprints’, so it is good to see the circular economy front and centre on the world stage,” says Tim Forslund, Senior Lead at Sitra. “Unfortunately, there was obstruction at play, visible in how key messages were watered down in the GEO-7 report, as well as in some of the resolutions and decisions. Still, given the geopolitical reality, there was a sense of relief that the end result was better than some had feared.”
Forslund also praises the joint declaration in minerals and metals, which is one of EU CERC’s focus sectors, as well as the declaration from ministers.
“The circular economy was stressed by many ministers and others at the event and side events, including UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and European Commissioner Jessika Roswall,” he says.
“Our goal is to promote the uptake of sound circular economy policies and business models based on peer-to-peer exchanges between the EU and partner countries,” explains Johanna Suikkanen, Senior Lead at Sitra.
The Kenya visit focused on three key areas: understanding Kenya’s circular economy work, enabling peer-to-peer learning, and advocating the circular economy among the UNEA participants. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) and sustainable design were high on the agenda at many of the meetings and events.
“EPR was introduced in Kenya’s 2022 Sustainable Waste Management Act,” Suikkanen continues. “We had discussions on EPR with their Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry; the National Environment Management Authority; the Kenya Private Sector Association and KEPRO, the Kenyan Producer Responsibility Organisation.”
Enabel, the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation, implements EU CERC’s Business Lab work with the private sector and financiers. During the visit, Enabel’s experts Nicoletta Favaretto and Frederik Jan van den Bosch met with key stakeholders, financiers and regulators.
The EU CERC Business Lab, together with the EU‑funded initiatives DGI and AEDIB, co‑organised in Nairobi the session “Circular business models in the digital economy: Turning e‑waste into value”. The event explored digitalisation and circular economy principles in waste electronics. The session featured inspiring business cases from Africa and Europe, a multi-stakeholder panel on advancing circularity in the digital economy and an interactive workshop for participants to bring their own experience and insights on challenges and enablers.
“The Kenyan private sector counts a growing number of circular businesses, supported by a well-advanced regulatory environment,” Suikkanen confirms.
EU CERC was presented at an important UNEA-7 side event focused on the UN’s Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production. Participants included experts from Europe, Africa and South America, including Peru’s new Minister of the Environment Miguel Ángel Espichán and UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division Deputy Director Steven Stone. Alex Kubasu from WWF Kenya was on hand to represent NGOs while Annika Lindblom from Finland’s Ministry of Environment was moderator.
“Our trip to Kenya went well and I’m eager to continue working with our colleagues in Africa,” says Suikkanen. “For example, several countries are interested in circular economy road maps which align with the African Union’s Continental Circular Economy Action Plan. A lot of work has already been done in Europe, operationalising circular economy road maps. The EU CERC can leverage this experience to inspire other countries to do the same.” The EU Circular Economy Resource Centre (EU CERC) is an initiative to accelerate the global transition to a circular economy through collaboration between EU and partner countries. The centre is funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway strategy and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. It is implemented by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, and Enabel, the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation.