World Circular Economy Forum 2026 Opens in Gandhinagar

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav opened the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar on 15 September 2026. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel joined him. The forum runs from 15 to 18 September. Its theme is Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity.

A first for the region

The Chief Minister called this the first hosting of the forum in South Asia. He said it reflects India's growing weight in global environmental leadership. He described Mission LiFE as a foundation for the global circular economy. He gave the example of offerings at the Somnath Temple, which are recycled into usable resources and support local livelihoods.

What the Union Minister said

Bhupender Yadav said the circular economy is not a new destination for India but a fresh way of seeing old wisdom. He summed up the ethos in three pairs: repair before replace, reuse before discard and recover before waste. He said the true measure of a circular economy is not how much waste is recycled but how little value is allowed to be wasted. He called circularity inherently collaborative, since knowledge, technology, finance and responsibility must travel across borders and sectors.

The numbers on waste

The international voices

The Ambassador of Finland, Mikko Kivikoski, said circularity has become part of his country's national policy. He noted Finland's aim of keeping resource consumption below the level of 2015 by the year 2035. He said more than 100 Finnish companies working in India use sustainable technologies. From the Netherlands, Marieke Spijkerboer said her country aims to become fully circular by 2050.

What else happened

Two publications were released at the inaugural session. They are 'Best Practices for Reuse of Treated Sewage' and a guide to India's circular economy and EPR initiatives. The forum is organised jointly by the Central Pollution Control Board, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Union environment ministry, the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board. The minister also recalled the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition launched during India's G20 Presidency.