PR88673

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, March 24, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

A circular economy will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent and

should thus be an integral part of the Paris Climate Agreement. WCEF+Climate is

the online conference to draw attention to the importance of a circular economy

in reaching the climate goals.

The virtual summit is organised jointly by the Netherlands’ Ministry of

Infrastructure and Water Management and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the

Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. Governments, international organisations,

knowledge institutions, the private sector and citizens will hold discussions

on - and reinforce their commitment to - the transition to a circular economy.

The conference will be closed with an Action Statement containing the pledges

of the participating entities.

“It’s time to change the game. If we want to tackle climate change, we need to

look beyond energy efficiency. For a healthy future we have to stop wasting our

finite resources, reuse our valuable materials and turn them into new products.

Together we can close the loop to a circular economy, a necessity for climate

neutrality by 2050. It’s time for a major change,” says Minister for the

Environment and host, Stientje van Veldhoven.

A circular economy entails using raw materials more smartly and carefully, thus

avoiding waste and pollution. Circularity goes far beyond just recycling waste.

Changing the entire chain as part of the transition to a circular economy will

help bring about a sustainable economy and better living conditions. Innovation

and collaboration are core to this transition.

“Overuse of natural resources is a major source of climate emissions. The

circular economy provides us with a tool to tackle the climate crisis, to

address the loss of biodiversity and to reduce our material consumption in an

economically viable way,” says Jyrki Katainen, President of The Finnish

Innovation Fund Sitra, co-host of the event.

Speakers include among others:

- Sigrid Kaag, the Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Trade

- Frans Timmermans, first Vice-President of the European Commission

- Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair

of the UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG)

- Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips and Chair of the Platform for

Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)

www.WCEFplusclimate.com

@wcefplusclimate

Source: Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra