(GERMANY)
The countdown is very much on to the world’s most important international climate conference.
Around 25000 delegates will descend on the Germany city of Bonn next week for the start of COP23 (United Nations Framework on Climate Change Conference of the Parties). International leaders, representing governments, industry and academia, and more, will gather to look at progress made to date on the Paris Climate Change Agreement and decide on new policies that can support it.
The role of the circular economy will be part of the discussions, with a range of meetings planned, including a side event titled Raising the Ambition of Climate Action through Circular Economy Strategies.
Pioneering initiatives on climate action will also be recognised in Bonn, via the ‘Momentum for Change’ Climate Solutions Award platform. And the 19 winners include circular economy innovations, such as the The Plastic Bank, which is an incentive-based scheme in Haiti where people can take recycled plastic to designated recycling markets in return for money or key essentials. Reducing plastic waste is crucial, especially from water ways, with one report estimating that, by 2050, oceans “contain more plastics than fish (by weight)”.
