ACEN to Co-Host WCEF2022
WCEF2022 will be hosted jointly by the Republic of Rwanda, the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA), the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) and The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners.
For the first time ever, the Global South will be in focus as this year’s World Circular Economy Forum takes place in Africa on 6–8 December 2022. Titled From Africa to the World, the forum will be held in Kigali, Rwanda and online, with Studios held in several cities across Africa. Global Studios may also take place in Africa and around the world.
Full details about the Forum can be found here.
Image: Topias Dean, Sitra
Welcome Radhia!
It's our pleasure to welcome ACEN’s new
Network Coordinator
- Radhia Mtonga. Based in Lusaka, Zambia, Radhia holds a Bachelor's degree and Honors in Economics. She’s passionate about the role that the #circulareconomy can play in future sustainable development. Radhia has made a significant impact in the industry by co-founding the Ulubuto Recycling Initiative in addition to being a judge at the Afri-Plastics Challenge. Her role at ACEN will include building networks and partnerships with local and global organisations, while supporting the transition to a circular economy in #Africa.
ACEN Update Webinar 2nd December. Speakers from the Sustainability Team at AB InBev (South Africa) and Sustainable Inclusive Business (Kenya) as well an update on ACEN activities with the Communications & Knowledge Sharing Team. A recording is available on the ACEN YouTube here.
Two articles on the Circular Economy
in Africa written by ACEN Co-Founders, Alex Lemille and Peter Desmond, have now been published. You can download them from our Publications page.
Circular Economy in Africa - Perspectives & Potential
Across the globe, there is a growing interest in Circular Economy (CE), with stakeholders sharing successful case studies and CE business opportunities. However, until recently, there has been little mention of cases from Africa, even though many CE principles are deeply embedded in African traditional production and consumption practices.
Collaboration with GRID-Arendal, Footprints Africa and ICLEI Africa has culminated in the co-creation of a report titled “Circular Economy on the African Continent, Perspectives and Potential”. The report summarizes key CE concepts; examines the enabling environment (drivers, barriers and opportunities) for promoting CE initiatives in Africa; reviews African CE experiences and policies in diverse sectors.
The report can be downloaded here.
Launch of Circular Business Platform Lagos
On the 5th October 2021 The Circular Business Platform Lagos (CBPL) was launched during a sold-out event at EKO Hotel. The platform is a first step in the transition from a linear to a circular economy in Nigeria with Lagos State as a model.
The CBPL hybrid launch event was attended by the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherland, Mr. Michel Deelen, Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget of Lagos State, Mr. Sam Egube, Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Hans Essaadi, Managing Director of Coca-Cola, Mr Alfred Olajide as well as other notable individuals, businesses and organizations from a variety of sectors.
The Circular Economy Innovation Partnership (CEIP) will take the lead in the implementation of the CBPL, supported by the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC), ACEN and a steering committee, consisting of key stakeholders that showed willingness to take the lead.
Please register here to stay updated:
Registration of Interest in the Circular Business Platform – Circular Lagos
The Full text of the Press Release can be downloaded here.
ACEN Foundation
We are excited to announce a further evolution in the ACEN storyline.
For those of you have been with us since the very beginning some five years ago, you will remember that ACEN started as an idea between several of the founding members seeing a need to nurture Circular Economy across the continent. From its humble beginnings as a Non-Profit Organisation, the immense support and membership growth required the organisation to rapidly evolve into a Non Profit Company in 2020. Over this time ACEN has been run by a dedicated team of passionate volunteers.
ACEN has been fortunate to have made some incredible partnerships and collaborations. In 2020, ACEN Country Experts along with members of the ACEN Executive Team co-authored reports for Kenya, Morocco and Rwanda with colleagues from Trinomics, Adelphi and Cambridge Econometrics. Particular reference is made to the potential for the circular economy through greater co-operation between the European Union and Africa.
Through this partnership a new opportunity emerged for ACEN, in the form of a Foundation and the emergence of the ACEN Foundation (ACENF).
So what does this mean?
The coming together of these two organisations to form a Foundation plays to the strengths of each with a passion for implementing circular principles across the African continent. This collaboration will produce far more than would be possible by each organisation working separately.
What happens to ACEN?
We continue to do what we do best! We continue to make those connections, build relationships and create a community of circular economy professionals in Africa. Both ACEN and the ACENF will work in parallel.
African Circular Economy Network (ACEN)
ACEN is a Pan-African non-profit network founded in 2016 with over 100 circular economy practitioners in 30 countries across the continent. The membership-based network brings together people from the private and public sector who have ambitions to accelerate the just transition to a circular economy in Africa through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
ACEN Foundation (ACENF)
The ACENF is a joint initiative between ACEN and Trinomics B.V. (a sustainability consultancy based in the Netherlands). The Foundation works across Africa to implement circular strategies and projects, enhance capacity amongst practitioners in the private and public sector, fundraise for the delivery of projects, and support entrepreneurs to develop unique circular business models.
The future?
ACEN Country Representatives and Chapter Members are eligible to apply to join ACEN Foundation Circular Economy Expert Database via this form.
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with us at info@acen.africa (ACEN) or Vivian.Hartlief@acenfoundation.org (ACENF).
ACEN Activity Update Webinar
On 22nd September 2021, ACEN held a webinar to update Members with recent activities and projects. We also heard from two of our Country Representatives, Abayomi Magbagbeola (Nigeria) and Wekesa Zablon (Kenya) on what is happening on the circular economy in their countries. A recording of the session is available on the ACEN YouTube Channel and the slides from two presentations can be downloaded as a PDF here.
ACEN Partner, LUP Global, has published a two-part update interview with Peter Desmond, ACEN Co-Founder, in August 2021 as a follow-up to his 2019 interview "Circular Economy Opportunities and Challenges” which is their highest ever viewed guest interview. Image credit: Paul Currie
Here is our March 2021 Newsletter for the latest updates on ACEN projects, activities and links to other circular news in Africa.
22nd December 2020 - the European Commission has published 8 reports on the status and opportunities for the circular economy in Africa. ACEN Country Experts co-authored reports for Kenya, Morocco and Rwanda with colleagues from Trinomics, Adelphi and Cambridge Econometrics. All 8 reports can be downloaded here.
21st December 2020 - Soren Bauer from ACEN's Media Partner, REVOLVE Circular, interviewed the Executive Team in this special article "Spotlight on Circularity in Africa". He also looked at the factors driving Africa’s circular agenda with some examples of circular initiatives across the continent.
The Winter 2020 edition of
REVOLVE Magazine is available for purchase at 25% discount using discount code at checkout: 9T4U8ZFD.
The Circular Hotspots of the world: catalysing the circular transition
30th September 2020 - Bezawit Gizaw, ACEN Country Representative in Ethiopia, spoke at a WCEFonline side event run by Nordic Circular Hotspot. She spoke about the opportunities for the circular economy in her country and across Africa. Recordings of the session can be accessed here.
“The circular economy is not a destination, it is a journey,” said Bezawit. "On this journey, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. In African and other emerging regions, the transition to a circular economy requires a different approach than in the West."
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