Kickstarting the Circular Economy at London Climate Action Week

This week an APPG on the Environment delivered a six-point plan for the Government to “kickstart” a circular economy in Britain. The group, chaired by Andrew Pakes MP, has gathered evidence from experts that implementing strategies to reduce waste, scale reuse and enhance recycling using innovative technologies could deliver a £25bn boost to Britain’s economy by 2035, and create hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs. As the Government prepares to publish a new Circular Economy Strategy in the autumn, the group is urging it to go further and faster with its ambition.

On Wednesday 25th June at London Climate Action Week (the biggest ever this year!), we will hear from Minister for Nature Mary Creagh MP (leading the Government’s circular economy strategy at Defra) about Labour’s plans to use the “Circular Economy as a Tool for Growth”. Delivering the keynote address at The Fleet Street Quarter Climate Festival, Minister Creagh will set out the Government’s transition pathway to support sustainable economic growth and resilience through the circular lens. She will be followed by a panel of experts from Ellen Macarthur Foundation, Deloitte, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Purpose Disruptors on the topic of how to “mainstream circularity”, particularly in waste-intensive sectors such as fashion and textiles.

The festival in the heart of The City has a distinct circular theme this year. On the same day, in The London Mine, we will hear from developers, engineers, architects and sustainability experts how London could become a leader in “urban mining” – a fascinating new concept in sustainable construction whereby obsolete buildings and structures are treated as resource from which steel, concrete, plastics and other useful building materials can be extracted and reused in new projects. 

In Going for Growth, a discussion chaired by edie’s Sarah George, experts will debate the topic of whether economic growth (“growth at any cost”, according to Labour’s new mantra) is compatible with net zero – or whether sustainability is just good business sense? Speakers include The City of London’s circular economy and biodiversity lead, Joanna Leyden, CBI economist Jennifer Beckwith, Bankers for Net Zero’s Heather Buchanan and Andy Melia, CEO of Heart of the City – providing the SME perspective.

The same afternoon the UNFCCC High-Level Champion Nigar Arpadarai will be giving an address at the opening of the SME Hub Climate Action Exchange.

For FREE tickets, use the code FSQSECN when booking.