India will host WCEF 2026 in Gandhinagar from September 15–18, with 2,000+ stakeholders from 65+ countries and 125+ circular economy exhibitors.
GANDHINAGAR: India is set to host the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from September 15 to 18, bringing together more than 2,000 stakeholders from over 65 countries to accelerate global cooperation on circular economy solutions.
Themed “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity,” the four-day forum marks the first time WCEF is being held in South Asia. The event will serve as a global platform for cross-sectoral partnerships, circular finance, innovation and technology aimed at advancing the transition towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy.
The forum will be jointly inaugurated on September 15 by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.
Other dignitaries expected at the inaugural session include Gujarat Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Arjunbhai Modhwadia, Ambassador of Finland to India Mikko Kivikoski, and Marieke Spijkerboer from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate of the Netherlands, besides senior officials from the Centre and Gujarat government.
Circular economy principles focus on keeping materials and products in use for longer through reuse, refurbishment and recycling, thereby reducing waste and making existing resources part of new economic cycles.
The forum is being organised against the backdrop of India's growing emphasis on resource efficiency and circularity. The event aims to showcase India's initiatives while strengthening international cooperation and partnerships, particularly with countries of the Global South.
WCEF 2026 is being jointly organised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Government of Finland, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).
More than 2,000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, policymakers, academicians and changemakers from across the world are expected to participate.
The forum will focus on mobilising circular finance and private-sector investment, encouraging policy dialogue and cross-sectoral partnerships, and accelerating innovation, digitalisation and technology for circularity.
The programme on September 15 and 16 will feature four plenary sessions and 16 parallel thematic sessions. Discussions will cover a wide range of subjects, including artificial intelligence, employment potential, energy production, circular finance, governance, sustainable products, industrial solutions, startups and youth leadership.
A major attraction of the event will be an international expo featuring more than 125 national and international exhibitors.
The expo will showcase practical circular economy solutions developed by startups and investment-ready innovations, providing businesses, investors, policymakers and other stakeholders with opportunities to explore technologies and partnerships that can accelerate circularity.
The Board of the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10 YFP) will also hold an in-person meeting in Gandhinagar on September 15 on the sidelines of WCEF.
India has recently assumed the role of Co-Chair of the 10 YFP Board, underscoring its engagement in advancing sustainable consumption and production patterns.
The WCEF programme will continue beyond the main sessions. On September 17 and 18, global collaborators will organise 80 accelerator sessions in online, hybrid and in-person formats across Gandhinagar and other locations worldwide.
The closing ceremony will be attended by Gujarat Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Arjunbhai Devabhai Modhwadia.
Other dignitaries expected to participate include Finland's Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala, Gujarat Minister of State for Forests and Environment and Climate Change Pravinbhai Mali, and Kristo Lehtonen, Director, International Programmes, Sitra, along with senior officials from the Governments of India and Gujarat.
The ceremony will conclude with the formal handover to the next host by the Director of International Programmes at Sitra.
The organisers said the forum would reinforce the need for countries, businesses and communities to embrace circular economy principles to build a global economic system that is more sustainable, resilient and prosperous.
