Rwanda's Minister of Environment Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya and African Development Bank Country Manager Aissa Toure Sarr with members of the Bank's WCEF organizing team in Kigali

Over 2000 delegates, including Africans from across the continent, attended the World Circular Economy Forum 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda held from 6-8 December.

The event positioned Africa as a potential global leader in driving adoption of the circular economy paradigm owing to its youthful population, immense resources and entrepreneurial dynamism. It also showcased circular solutions from Africa and the global south, including reused construction materials, textile garment recycling and aquaponics food systems.

The African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA), the Government of Rwanda and the Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra, jointly hosted the Forum. The African Development Bank, which hosts ACEA's secretariat, played a role in the event's agenda.

Among the event's key themes were climate and nature, youth, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as trade and value chains.

In a statement, Jeanne D'Arc Mujawamaria, Rwanda's Minister of Environment of Rwanda, stressed the importance of ensuring access to finance in support of the circular transition. She said: "Collaboration is key to achieving improved access to technology and finance enabling circularity. Financing is a key enabler, and we need to improve how we invest in circular economy businesses and create an enabling environments."

The African Development Bank's Rwanda Country Manager Aissa Touré Sarr, led a delegation to the Forum. In her opening remarks, she said, "Investment in companies and ecosystems working on circular economy solutions has an opportunity to drive whole-of-society transformation and innovations. Africa's future economic growth and the prosperity of its people are intimately linked to a successful transition to a green and resilient economy."

The African Development Bank through its Multi-donor Trust Fund, the Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), supports the creation and diffusion of circular practices in regional member countries. ACEF receives funding from the Government of Finland and the Nordic Development Fund.

Jyrki Katainen, President of Sitra, said WCEF would continue to offer a platform for partnerships, learning and concrete action. "Circular economy interventions can halt global biodiversity loss and help the world's biodiversity recover," Katainen says. "Circularity is crucial not only to keep valuable materials in use, but also to ease the pressure on extracting virgin natural resources;" he said.

A communique will be issued following the forum. The Kigali Call to Action of the WCEF2022 urges African countries to create an enabling environment for circular businesses and to pursue the societal, economic and environmental benefits of the circular economy for Africans and the world. The communique also calls for steps to advance scalable local technologies and leverage youth innovation to drive the circular economy in Africa.

Held every year, the WCEF brings together business leaders, policymakers and experts from around the world to present the world's best circular economy solutions. It examines how societies and businesses can seize new opportunities to accelerate the global transition towards a circular economy in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. WCEF 2023 will take place in Helsinki, Finland, it was announced.