World Circular Economy Forum 2026 Ends at Gandhinagar

The World Circular Economy Forum 2026 came to a close on 16 September 2026. The host city was Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The forum ran for two days. Discussions covered the whole range of the circular economy. The short form used for the event is WCEF2026.

Who took part

Around 2,700 delegates attended the forum. There were 260 speakers. Participants came from more than 60 countries. Governments, international organisations, industry, start-ups, academia and civil society were all represented.

The closing session

Gujarat's Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Climate Change and Transport, Pravinbhai Mali, addressed the closing session. Finland's Cabinet Minister of Climate and the Environment, Sari Multala, spoke as well. Atte Jaaskelainen, President of SITRA, was also present. The programme featured the forum's highlight film. The Ecomark logo was launched at the same session.

What the speakers said

Pravinbhai Mali said the real impact lies in collaboration on the ground. He urged a shift from commitment to action. He described the circular economy as an economic opportunity and a social responsibility, not merely an environmental agenda. Sari Multala congratulated India on hosting the forum and said India had also inspired it. She argued that ideas must turn into investments and that successful innovations must scale quickly.

The shape of the forum

Additional Secretary and Central Pollution Control Board Chairman Amandeep Garg set the context for the closing session. He said the forum held four plenary sessions and 16 parallel sessions. These covered financial, technical, social and economic aspects of the circular economy. Employment, inclusivity, gender equity and financing were among the topics. A concurrent exhibition featured 135 national and international exhibitors. Another 80 accelerator sessions were planned for 17 and 18 September 2026. Kristo Lehtonen of SITRA handed the baton for WCEF 2027 to Columbia University in the United States.

The forum at a glance