Great Lakes Circular Economy Forum

The first Great Lakes Circular Economy Forum will take place in Toronto from 25-26 June 2019 at the Toronto Reference Library. Co-convened by UN Environment North America, the City of Toronto and the Council of the Great Lakes Region, the Forum is an invitation-only, bi-national dialogue on promoting circular economy in the Great Lakes region.

The Great Lakes region is uniquely positioned for a transition to a circular economy because of its tightly integrated industries and its strong cross-border collaborations. Shifting towards circularity holds great promise for improving resource efficiency, promoting innovation and helping drive economic growth. As the largest body of freshwater on the planet, maximizing sustainability and minimizing waste in the Great Lakes region is essential for safeguarding our future.

The Great Lakes Circular Economy Forum will bring together key stakeholders - including major cities of the Great Lakes region and key companies and industries – to generate a shared vision of how to move towards more circular markets and economies in the region, and the type of partnerships and collaborations needed to achieve this. The Forum will also provide a milestone in the lead up to Canada hosting of the World Circular Economy Forum in 2020.