The World Circular Economy Forum 2026 (WCEF2026) concluded today at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, after two days of intense discussions spanning the full spectrum of Circular Economy. The Forum brought together around 2,700 Delegates and 260 Speakers from over 60 countries, including governments, international organizations, industry, start-ups, academia and civil society.

The closing session was graced by Shri Pravinbhai Mali, Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Climate Change, Transport, Government of Gujarat and Ms. Sari Multala, Cabinet Minister of Climate and the Environment, Finland. Other dignitaries attending the occasion included President (SITRA), Mr. Atte Jääskeläinen, besides senior officers of the Governments of India and the State of Gujarat. The programme also featured the WCEF2026 highlight film and launch of the Ecomark logo.

In his special address, Shri Pravinbhai Mali congratulated the participants for holding wide ranging meaningful deliberations during the last two days of the Forum. He stated that the true impact of the event lies in the collaborations on the ground for Circular Solutions and stressed on the need to move forward together from commitment to action. The Minister highlighted that the circular economy is not merely an environmental agenda but an economic opportunity, a societal responsibility, a daily lifestyle, and a pathway to secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Ms. Sari Multala in her remarks congratulated India on successfully hosting WCEF 2026 and stated that India has not only hosted the forum but has inspired it. Circular economy is not an environmental issue but an economic and developmental opportunity, which is no longer a future possibility but one that is already prevalent globally. She noted that the importance of inclusion and peoples’ dimension of transition have been specifically highlighted during WCEF2026, besides exploring practical partnerships, business collaborations, innovations and investments in circular solutions. Ideas must become investments and successful innovations must scale with faster implementation, she concluded.

Earlier, setting the context for the closing session, Additional Secretary (MoEFCC) and Chairman (CPCB) Dr. Amandeep Garg informed the august gathering that the forum during the last two days witnessed four plenary sessions and 16 parallel sessions covering financial, technical and technological, social and economic aspects of Circular Economy. Topics such as employment, inclusivity, gender equity, future challenges and need of adequate financing were also discussed. He called upon all stakeholders to take the deliberations held during the forum to collective and successful implementation on ground.

The Chairman highlighted that the plenary sessions collectively highlighted India’s vision and leadership in advancing the circular economy through national and state-level initiatives, business innovation and industrial strategy. The importance of enabling policies, material security, innovation, entrepreneurship and skill development were focused upon in the sessions. These broad principles were then translated into practical, sector-specific actionable insights through parallel sessions across various waste streams, reaffirming the role of reskilling, digital technologies, finance, value-chain partnerships and citizen participation in scaling circular solutions.

It was informed that the exhibition, organized concurrently with the forum, featured 135 national and international exhibitors, offering a glimpse into the ground level implementation of circular solutions, highlighting the practical challenges and the need to work together. 80 accelerator sessions would be organized during 17^th -18^th September 2026 by various collaborators to take forward the ideas that emerged during the forum, translating these into practical pathways. The forum gave a call to accelerate inclusive and scalable circular economy solutions through institutional coordination, capacity development and integration of circular principles into decision-making at all levels.

The closing ceremony concluded with Mr. Kristo Lehtonen, Director, International Programmes (SITRA) handing over the baton for organizing the WCEF 2027 to Columbia University, United States of America.

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VM/GS

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