On June 1st 2023, Circular Innovation Lab, the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Vietnam and the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam (ISPONRE) hosted a World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2023 Accelerator Session on ‘International Best Practices on Circular Economy Roadmaps: The Case of Vietnam’, with Chatham House as a Knowledge Partner. Experts from the circular economy field highlighted the importance of Circular Economy Roadmaps and shared best practices for the successful development of such roadmaps. A key focus of the session was the case of Vietnam, which has shown remarkable progress in integrating circular economy principles into its national legislation and environmental protection law and developing its ongoing Circular Economy National Action Plan.
Michael Siegner (Resident Representative, Hanns Seidel Foundation of Vietnam) and Arpit Bhutani (COO, Circular Innovation Lab) began the 90-minute session by offering their opening remarks. Kari Herlevi (Project Director, Global Collaboration, Sustainability Solutions, Sitra) then gave a keynote speech on Finland’s experience with Circular Economy Roadmaps after which Arpit Bhutani held a presentation on international best practices on Circular Economy Roadmaps and showcased other countries' success stories. After that, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tho (Director General, ISPONRE) presented Vietnam’s experience in the ongoing development of its Circular Economy National Action Plan.
The second part of the session welcomed experts from the circular economy field to an interactive panel discussion:
Apoorva Arya: CEO, Circular Innovation Lab
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tho: Director General, ISPONRE
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Quan: Director, ICED, Vietnam National University
Dr. Patrick Schröder: Senior Research Fellow, Environment and Society Programme, Chatham House
In sum, the session underscored the need for strategic collaboration, robust metrics, societal involvement, decentralisation, and regular reviews in the development and implementation of National Circular Economy Roadmaps. The importance of tailoring these roadmaps to unique national contexts was also underlined. The critical role of education in promoting an understanding of the circular economy was further acknowledged, as was the potential of international cooperation in securing funding and expertise.
To discover more about the insights and key takeaways of the session, view the Outcome Report here: