The CE Hotspot event goes Global: 2023 edition will take place in Nigeria, Ireland, and Chile!
Today, November 17th, at the Catalonia Circular Hotspot Event 2021, an historic decision on the host for the CE Hotspot Event 2023 was announced. In 2023, the CE Hotspot event will not be held in one single country and continent but will take place in 3 continents. The events will be aligned and spread out during the year to generate increased impact. For the first time ever, there will be an event in Latin America, in Africa and in Europe; each one fine-tuned to suit its region dynamics.
Historic decision on the organisation of the CE Hotspot event in 2023
Since 2016, when the first Circular Hotspot event took place in the Netherlands, Circular Economy (CE) Hotspot events have happened annually in Europe. These events showcase the organising countries’ circular activities and share their best business practices, policies and approaches. They have been successful in stimulating businesses to adopt circular principles and have inspired CE action in new countries. A circular legacy was created.
This week, the jury, consisting of 4 out of 5 previous CE Hotspot event organisers, came together to decide on the location of the CE Hotspot event in 2023. The jury consisted of Holland Circular Hotspot (2016), the government of Luxemburg (2017), Zero Waste Scotland (2018), the host from Catalonia (2020/21) and North Rhine Westphalia (CE Hotspot 2022). The jury was delighted by the interest to organise CE Hotspot 2023, with 4 candidates from Europe, 4 candidates from Africa and a candidate from the LATAM region. The quality of the proposals was exceptionally high and the passion of the presenters was noticeable. There is a global momentum for circular economy as a solution to stimulate our economy, work on Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) and the Climate Goals.
The jury noticed that there is a specific and rather unique momentum for CE in every continent and decided to take the revolutionary decision to have the 2023 CE Hotspot edition take place in Nigeria, Ireland, and Chile.
We congratulate the winners. They have the huge, but rewarding responsibility to carry forward the circular movement in their region.
“The Netherlands initiated the Circular Hotspot event in 2016. It makes us as Holland Circular Hotspot incredibly proud and humble to see that it is now developing into a series of global events at a time that the world needs it most”
– Freek van Eijk, Director Holland Circular Hotspot
Increased awareness to take action
In making this decision, the jury recognizes, that in a world slowly recovering from COVID-19, there is increased awareness of the circular economy as a means to take action, especially amongst the younger generation. A circular world is the only way forward!
Now with recovery funds and increased climate action, there is also a unique opportunity to embed circularity within every activity and action in every part of the globe. This ground-breaking jury decision to host a CE hotspot event in 3 continents in 2023 supports the global goal to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. After 2023, each continent will continue the tradition and host a yearly CE Hotspot event in their own continent. That will mean that elections for a CE Hotspot event in 2024 in Africa, Latin America, and Europe and potentially other continents, will be held in 2022.
Finally we would like to remind you that the next CE Hotspot event will take place in 2022 in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany, and we hope you will join us on this inspiring circular journey!
