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WCEF Side Events
Interested in organising or joining circular economy-related events around the globe? Check out our side event list!
The World Circular Economy Forum is a landmark event of the year that brings together business leaders, policymakers and experts to present the world’s best circular economy solutions.
What is WCEF about?
The World Circular Economy Forum creates a new economy, businesses and jobs, leveraging circular solutions to solve the planetary crisis. The Forum brings together more than 2,000 business leaders, policymakers and experts from around the world to present the world’s best circular economy solutions. WCEF examines how businesses can seize new opportunities and gain a competitive advantage through circular economy solutions, and how the circular economy contributes to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
WCEF is a global initiative of Finland and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. We believe that truly competitive solutions are born when business and the environment go hand in hand. At Sitra, we work with partners to lead the way in the transition to a fair and competitive carbon-neutral circular economy – a new kind of society in which our everyday lives and well-being are no longer based on excessive consumption and fossil fuel use.
A series of events
The first WCEF was held in Helsinki, Finland in June 2017 with 1,600 participants from nearly 100 countries. In 2018, Sitra took the concept to Yokohama, Japan where more than 1,100 circular economy experts discussed what we need to do to create a true circular economy by 2050. In 2019, the forum returned to Helsinki and with over 2,200 participants, it was a landmark event of the year.
To respond to the restrictions imposed following the global COVID-19 pandemic, we organised a virtual event in 2020. WCEFonline addressed how the circular economy can help reboot the economy and shared useful tools and solutions with the world for a sustainable recovery. More than 4,300 participants from 143 countries welcomed the possibility to participate from anywhere around the world.
Year 2021 presented two big WCEF events. A two-day event WCEF+Climate was held on 15-16 April 2021 in the Netherlands and online, and more than 2,300 participants from 120 countries joined to discuss the crucial role of a circular economy in achieving climate neutrality. The annual main event WCEF2021 was held for the first time in North America in Toronto, Canada on 13-15 September 2021, gathering 4,000 participants from 134 countries plus almost 30,000 participants in partner-led accelerator sessions and WCEF Studios around the world. The forum was postponed from September 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WCEF2022 was held for the first time on the African continent and in the Global South, in Kigali, Rwanda and online on 6-8 December 2022. With more than 4,000 participants from 149 countries joining online, in person at the main event and in Studios across Africa and the globe, plus the thousands participating in the partner-led accelerator sessions, the event highlighted the importance of African inclusion in the circular economy transition.
WCEF2023 was held again in Helsinki, Finland from 30 May to 2 June. The Forum was co-hosted by Nordic Innovation and Sitra, with international partners. Nearly 1,900 people from 155 countries participated on 30-31 May in person, and the 6 Studios gathered over 700 participants. The main event sessions have gathered more than 12,600 online views. In addition, 41 partner-led Accelerator Sessions occurred on 1-2 June, with more than 5,000 registrants.
WCEF2024 was held in Brussels, Belgium. The forum gathered 1,531 people in Brussels and 2,295 people in seven Studios around the world and gained more than 9,800 views online. Attendees from 168 countries participated in the main event. This edition was produced by Circle Economy Foundation, International Resource Panel and Sitra, with 22 international partners, 42 expo stand hosts and a plenitude of international collaborators. In addition to the main event, our partners offered 11 workshops and 55 accelerator sessions.
WCEF2025 was held in São Paulo, Brazil from 13 to 16 May. Altogether 1,206 people gathered in São Paulo and (tbc number of people) in seven Studios around the world and gained more than 16,300 views online. Attendees from 160 countries participated in the main event. The forum was organised jointly by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo), CNI (Brazilian National Industry Confederation) and SENAI-SP (Brazilian National Industrial Learning Service), with 29 international partners, 43 espo stand hosts and numerous international collaborators organising 102 Accelerator sessions.
2025 was the first time the forum entered Latin America, where the climate and biodiversity negotiations in 2024 and 2025 also took place, offering an opportunity to strengthen global collaboration and get businesses onboard to build a circular economy future.
The next forum will be held in India in autumn 2026 (time and place to be announced). On the way there, numerous WCEF Side Events will take place. Have a look and apply!
P.S. Since 2020, the annual main event and all WCEF+ events have been available for online participation. Side events can be organised in person or online throughout the year, excluding the days when annual WCEF events are taking place.
PREVIOUS FORUMS
Explore the results of previous WCEF events.
STRUCTURE AND THEMES
The annual WCEF consists of up to 17 plenary and parallel sessions with keynote speeches, thematic discussions and networking opportunities.
Each annual WCEF has a different theme. WCEF2025 explored the role of the production sector in driving the circular transition. WCEF2024 focused on how to get from visions to actions. WCEF2023 presented circular solutions for nature and the economy. WCEF2022 looked at the circular economy from Africa to the world. WCEF2021 focused on the system level changes, or “game changers”, needed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. In 2020, WCEFonline focused on rebooting the economy with circular solutions. WCEF2019 had a strong emphasis on scaling up the circular economy transition. WCEF2018 painted visions of a circular future the world should strive for and encouraged the world’s leading economies to follow those visions. WCEF2017 identified key elements of a circular economy and showcased solutions and lessons from around the world.
The event concept includes also Accelerator Sessions that can be offered alongside the annual WCEF and Side Events that can be held throughout the year. In addition, smaller, regional or thematic WCEF+ events can also be organised throughout the year. This concept was tested for the first time at the WCEF+Climate event in April 2021.
HOSTS AND PARTNERS
The annual WCEF main events are hosted by Sitra and organised together with global and local partners. Alongside ministries, our 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) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The partners of each WCEF can be found on the annual forum websites.
QUESTIONS?
Want to know more about the forum? Interested in organising an annual WCEF or a related regional or thematic event in the future? Please contact us at contactus.wcef@sitra.fi.
people
Reetta Kohonen
EVENTS
Have a look at the past and upcoming WCEF events.