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Practical information for participants

For all those who will be joining us in Helsinki for WCEF2023, we have gathered some practical information to make your visit and participation in the Forum easier. Please note that you can already collect your badge at the event venue, Messukeskus (Messuaukio 1, Helsinki) on Monday evening, 29 May from 16 to 20 EEST (UTC+3). There’s a free wi-fi connection available at Messukeskus. Here’s a list of hotels with pre-negotiated rates. Please check this page for regular updates.

WCEF2023 – Circular solutions for nature and the economy

Hosted in Messukeskus, Helsinki, the World Circular Economy Forum 2023 will provide a unique opportunity to create momentum for a nature-positive future. The Forum will present a focused agenda and harness our collective energies on accelerating the needed transition over the coming years, showcasing global change makers and building the capacity to collaborate. WCEF2023 will mark the seventh iteration of the annual Forum and occurs at a pivotal moment for economies, societies and our planet.

We already know why the circular economy is a must, but the world needs examples. WCEF2023 will focus on the how, inviting especially businesses, financiers and youth to pinpoint the potential and bottlenecks of advancing circular solutions. The Forum will facilitate conversations and create a wider understanding on how the circular economy allows us to tackle some of the complex root causes of resource overconsumption, pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss all at once.

The forum will explore circular solutions for nature and the economy, covering a variety of topics, such as: finance, accounting and metrics, everyday life and health, future skills, regenerative agriculture and forestry, finite materials and energy, mining, trade, strategies and road maps, fashion and textiles, food, construction and the built environment, plastics and packaging, electronics, and hydrogen. The third and fourth day are reserved for partner-led programmes that can take place anywhere around the world or online.

To enable participation from around the world, WCEF2023 will be live-streamed online, open to all and free of charge. Attendance in person is by invitation only.

In addition to the main event, Side Events can be organised throughout the year, excluding the forum days. Side events organised from 22 May to 11 June will be listed on this event page, and the full list is available on Sitra’s website.

WCEF2023 is co-organised by Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners.

What is WCEF?

The annual World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) presents the world’s leading circular economy solutions with business leaders, policymakers and experts participating from around the world.

Circular economy approaches can help businesses seize new opportunities and gain a competitive advantage, as well as contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

WCEF is a global initiative of Finland and Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund. The first Forum, WCEF2017, identified key elements of a circular economy and showcased solutions and learnings from around the world, bringing together 1,500 people from more than 100 countries. At WCEF2018, more than one 1,000 circular economy experts discussed creating a true circular economy by 2050. WCEF2019 emphasised the next era of the circular economy and scaling up the transition, with more than 2,200 participants. In 2020 WCEFonline presented the circular solutions to rebooting the world’s economy and opened its doors to more than 4,200 participants through its new online format.

In 2021, there were two big events. WCEF+Climate focused on the crucial role of a circular economy in achieving climate neutrality. The main event WCEF2021 in Toronto, Canada focused on seizing circular opportunities, reaching over 4,000 participants from 134 countries plus nearly 27,000 views for the partner-led accelerator sessions. WCEF2022 was held for the first time on the African continent and in the Global South. With nearly 4,200 participants from 149 countries joining online, in person at the main event in Kigali, Rwanda 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. And the journey continues: this year, the Forum returns to the Nordics!

What is the circular economy?

The circular economy is a tool that allows us to address multifaceted issues, such as pollution, poverty, poor infrastructure and unemployment, while also leaving more space for nature to thrive. Circularity is key for economic resilience and social stability which benefits everyone. It also provides many opportunities for mutually beneficial global partnerships.

The circular economy is the new paradigm for business which aims to achieve economic growth through new sustainable business models. According to research from Accenture, the circular economy could generate 4.5 trillion US dollars’ worth of additional economic output by 2030. The research identifies circular business models that will help decouple economic growth from natural resource consumption while driving greater competitiveness.

Questions?

Want to know more about the WCEF2023? Please contact the WCEF team at contactus.wcef@sitra.fi