This week the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual General meeting returned to Davos, Switzerland. Each year, the meeting brings together top business executives from the 1,000 foremost global companies, more than 100 government leaders, and ambassadors to define priorities and shape global industry and regional agenda.
This year’s overarching theme is Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and as in previous years, the circular economy is on the agenda.
Amongst the week's activities, the Foundation has released a new report Cities and Circular Economy for Food, which concludes that unhealthy food production makes healthy eating impossible.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WEF have collaborated closely to advance the circular economy since the Foundation, with McKinsey & Company, published its analysis of the economic opportunity of a circular economy, in Davos, 2012. Together with WEF, the Foundation leads Project Mainstream - a CEO-led initiative that helps to scale business driven circular economy innovations. The Foundation is also an affiliate member of WEF’s Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE), a global public-private collaboration platform and project which aims to create systems change at speed and scale.
Ellen MacArthur, Andrew Morlet, and members of the Foundation’s senior team, have attended numerous bilateral meetings and events during the week.
The Circular Awards took place on the first day of Davos and five of seven prestigious awards categories were won by the Foundation’s CE100 members and close collaborators.
Awards & Winners included:
The paper explores the role of AI as a tool to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Built on insights from over 40 interviews with experts, this work is a collaboration between the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Google, with research and analytical support provided by McKinsey & Company.
The research examines the application of AI in two value chains: food, and consumer electronics. Combining the power of AI with a vision for a circular economy represents a significant, and as yet, largely untapped opportunity to harness one of the great technological developments of our time.
This paper previews the digital suite of resources the Foundation will launch in March.
Providing a global reference point for urban policymakers, it will include a vision for the circular economy in housing, mobility, and products, as well as benefit factsheets, urban policy instruments, city-led case studies, and additional networks and resources. The project has been developed together with Knowledge Partner, Arup, and supported by the MAVA Foundation.
The report, written as part of Project Mainstream and WEF, with analytical support from SYSTEMIQ, results from the Foundation’s work over the past year on Cities and Circular Economy for Food with a diverse group of food system actors, to design a regenerative urban food system based on the principles of a circular economy.
Given that 80% of all food will be consumed in cities by 2050, the report highlights their critical importance in triggering the shift towards a regenerative system fit for the long term. Three main ambitions emerge: source food grown regeneratively, and locally where appropriate; make the most of food (use by-products more effectively, prevent waste); design and market healthier food.
The report was made possible by philanthropic partners Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Players of People’s Postcode Lottery (GB) and Porticus, in collaboration with lead partners Intesa Sanpaolo and core partners Danone, Sitra, Suez, Tetra Pak and Veolia.