MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Reducing waste while boosting recycling and reuse, known as the ‘circular economy,’ will be vital for halting the loss of nature by meeting growing demand with fewer resources and will make communities more resilient to climate change by encouraging more sustainable practices on the African continent, organizers of the World Circular Economy Forum said Wednesday.
The conference, which brings together climate and economic experts as well businesses and think tanks, is being held in the Rwandan capital Kigali — the first ever in the global south.
“It is much easier to adapt now than the costs that we will incur if we wait,” said Wanjira Maathai of the World Resources Institute at the forum. As climate change makes weather more extreme, the costs incurred from the damages are increasing. “It is time we look at it (circular economy) as a driver of Africa’s development.”
The three-day forum, which ends Thursday, encourages a shift to an economic model that promotes less material consumption and promotes what’s known as regenerative agriculture practices like rotating crops or using fewer chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The talks will also push nature-based solutions to boost natural resources such as rewilding.
Many on the continent are already exploring how to use waste in new ways.
At the opening ceremony Tuesday, Rwandan environment minister Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya said the continent should galvanize local knowledge from its youth, innovators and entrepreneurs to fast track the continent’s development progress “without repeating the same mistakes made by the industrialized nations.”
