India Circular Economy Forum, a futuristic approach to build and scale up a circular economy

The event will include a panel discussion on various topics like Plastics and Packaging- A Circular Approach, Circular Economy for Climate and Biodiversity, New plastic Economy, Making transition: An industry perspective, Renewable Energy, Carbon finance, Carbon credits and CCS, Building Foundation – Leading circularity, Importance of waste segregation in Circularity, Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Spirit, Circular Cities – An approach for India, Making Fashion Circular – An industry experience, Fashion and Textile- A closed-loop approach, Systems Thinking and Electronics for the Circular Economy, Automobile – Materiality, Marine litter – How to save Water bodies, Role of EPR in Circularity, ESG for sustainable growth, Driving Actions Towards Circularity through Data analysis and driving Actions Towards Circularity through Data analysis.

Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of AICTE, said India Circular Economy Forum (ICEF2022) has been at the forefront of creating awareness about philosophy and the need for adopting a circular economy in the light of the serious crisis our planet is facing in terms of environmental damage, and climate change. Every citizen has to adopt the true practice of circular economy, not just use, reuse, and recycle but right from the design of environment-friendly products to the product’s end of life so that costs involved are substantially reduced, and life on the planet becomes beautiful.

Shalini Goyal Bhalla, MD, ICCE, said, “India has made significant progress in various fields, including renewable energy, health, sports, shipping, circular Economy and water management. With its international partners, it is working towards identifying deliverables in the priority areas of the energy transition, renewable energy, sustainable urban development, green mobility, circular economy, climate action inter alia on mitigation, climate resilience and adaptation, agroecological transformation, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, environment protection & sustainable use of natural resources.”

She further added, “With a rising per capita income, India is witnessing increased manufacturing and changing its consumption patterns. It comes with environmental impacts that must be efficiently managed and mitigated. With only 2% of the world’s landmass but almost 18% of the world population, it is paramount for India to take on harmful linear material flows and shift towards a circular model, which will provide many economic and ecological benefits. It is estimated that a circular economy path adopted by India could bring in annual benefits of 40 lakh crores or approximately US$ 624 billion in 2050. The greenhouse emission would reduce by 44%, along with a significant reduction in congestion and pollution.

The Indian economy has shown strong signs of being resilient during the pandemic. Efforts to make a circular transition can be seen across sectors. A lot of work in the different Ministries and Departments has been happening for quite some time. NITI Aayog developed the Resource Efficiency Strategy in 2017 and Sectoral Strategies in 2019. NITI Aayog is giving high importance to mainstreaming the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs). One of the elements in achieving the SDGs is the transition towards a greater circular economy and resource efficiency.

Dr Sameer Joshi Hon. Treasurer, Indian Plastics Institute, said, “Multiple drivers that can radically change the sectoral value chains and businesses are at play. The top corporates are looking at the sustainability aspect more closely. The new generation of consumers is more conscious of the current environmental challenges and the deliberations around these issues. ICEF will be the biggest event for the Circular Economy in India in 2022, where the best of minds come together to deliberate and lays the path for CE for India and beyond. My congratulations and best wishes to all.”

Ashish Sachdeva, Founder President of Green Dream Foundation, said, “Lack of source segregation and due to “selective recycling” our Economy continues to be linear heavy. I am looking forward to leveraging the platform of the India Circular Economy Forum (ICEF2022) to bring forward the challenges and opportunities with all stakeholders and eventually foster partnerships for driving a Circular Economy.”

International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE) was incorporated in July 2020 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. The council is a member of the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation community and aims to become the leading Indian council for Circular practices. ICCE has a presence across 92 cities and 32 countries through its collaborations. As India’s largest organization and a powerhouse in circularity, ICCE offers an elegant bouquet of products and services.

The core ideas of the Circular Economy are the elimination of waste by respect for the social, economic, and natural environment, design, and resource-conscious business conduct. Built on the backbone of these principles, the circular Economy has demonstrated to deliver tangible benefits and viability to address the economic, environmental, and social challenges of our days. Sustainability and circular economy (CE) are growing interest for governments, investors, companies, and civil society. Sustainability envisions a balanced integration of economic performance, social inclusiveness, and environmental resilience to benefit current and future generations.

A circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design. It replaces the end-of-life concept with restoration, shifts towards the use of renewable energy, eliminates the use of toxic chemicals, which impair reuse and return to the biosphere, and aims for the elimination of waste through the superior design of materials, products, systems and business models.