World Circular Economy Forum 2026: Four shifts to unlock the upstream circular economy

The circular economy has increasingly been recognised as a lever to address the planetary crisis, capable of supporting economic competitiveness and social wellbeing alongside it. While national circular economy strategies and roadmaps have increased globally (Chatham House & UNIDO, 2024), the global circularity rate is falling (Circle Economy, 2024). Bridging this gap between the intent and the impact of circular policies requires shifts in how circularity is governed and what they target.  

Most circular economy policies remain disproportionately focused on downstream interventions, such as waste management, end-of-life infrastructure and recycling. While these measures are important, it is widely estimated that the decisions made at the design stage, such as material choice and potential for repair and reuse, shape the majority of a product’s environmental impact. 

Upstream circular economy policies aim to address the source, rather than the symptom, of an unsustainable and resource-intensive system. The policy guide Addressing the Source: A Policy Guide for Upstream Circular Action, developed by Demos Helsinki and UNIDO(opens in new tab), with inputs from Sitra(opens in new tab), is a practical toolkit for policymakers to advance upstream circularity. The guide showcases a range of policy instruments and actions, along with case examples, to help policymakers choose and adopt upstream circular policies.

At World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026, Demos Helsinki joins UNIDO and Sitra to launch the policy guide and test together with policymakers and practitioners how to put it into practice. Demos Helsinki’s experts, Cecilia af Hällström and Otso Sillanaukee, will be co-facilitating an on-site accelerator session to explore how these strategic shifts can bridge the gap between political intent and action:

• from downstream to upstream action,
• from siloed to systemic thinking
• from prescriptive to participatory policymaking, and 
• from compliance to competitiveness.
  

About the accelerator session: Four shifts to unlock the upstream circular economy

• Agenda: See here(opens in new tab).
• Who is it for: Policymakers and industry leaders working on circular economy strategy; private sector and public policy actors attending WCEF2026
• Event date & time: Thursday 17 September 2026 at 10:00-13:00 IST (UTC+5.30)
• Location: The Leela Gandhinagar and Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
• Register HERE(opens in new tab).

The policy guide was developed as part of the project Partnerships for Sustainable, Inclusive, and Circular Supply Chains (PASS). The project is part of UNIDO’s FairShare Initiative and is funded by the Government of Finland, and implemented in collaboration with Fazer, KONE and Sitra.