The COVID-19 crisis is linked with nature loss and shrinking habitats. And it comes on top of the triple crises we already face: our climate is in serious trouble, nature and biodiversity are in accelerating decline, and humanity’s toxic trail of pollution and waste is growing. Our unsustainable consumption and production is the core driver of these crises. Recovery policies implemented today offer the opportunity to restore, reset and rebalance our most important relationship with nature by addressing the causes of unsustainable consumption and production. A carefully managed transition to circularity will be critical to deliver on the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and the biodiversity and pollution agendas. It will be essential to recover from the pandemic and to lift people out of poverty, while staying within planetary boundaries.
The event will discuss the alignment of current recovery packages with SDG 12 goals and explore good examples opportunities. The event aims to conclude with the most important global steps to scale up circular economy for a sustainable future. Our panel of international leaders and experts will discuss the questions that matter, like:
- What are the biggest opportunities we are currently missing for an inclusive, green recovery? Where are we right now, are we on / off track and what more needs to be done?
- In which sectors and value chains will we generate the biggest impact for resilience, jobs, and a pollution-free planet? Where are the biggest gains to be had, and what are the leverage points?
- What are the barriers and incentives that need to be addressed? From a policy and finance perspective, what do we need to do differently? What incentives and economic policies are needed? And how can we make this happen?
Panelists
Mr. Rodrigo Rodriguez Tornquist, Secretary of Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Innovation, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable, Argentina
Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Thailand
Ms. Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director
Ms. Sara Mariani, Chief Sustainability Officer, OTB
Mr. Stephan Sicars, UNIDO, Managing Director of the Directorate of Environment and Energy
Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Climate Justice Activist, for Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP), the Fridays For Future (FFF)
Moderated by: Pilita Clark, Financial Times, Associate Editor and Business Columnist