Bogotá, Oct. 9, 2024 – During the Latin American Circular Economy Festival, which is being held in Bogota until October 10, 18 countries in the region signed the Declaration 'Bogota 2024: For a circular, biodiverse, fair and inclusive economy in Latin America and the Caribbean', which will be presented at COP16, the most important event on biodiversity in the world.
This declaration underlines the importance of implementing the circular economy as an essential element to preserve and recover biodiversity, and as a tool capable of reconfiguring consumption and production patterns, thus facing the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. All this in order to promote closer cooperation among the countries of the region and move towards resilient and equitable development.
The declaration will be presented to the world during the COP16 to be held in Cali from October 21 to November 1.
“We have had the participation of several countries, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies that have been supporting us in this process of deepening respect for the environment, of sending a message of protection of nature, of sustainable use of natural resources, of minimizing impacts, of pushing international agreements on plastics and other waste that are generating problems worldwide and in Colombia,” said Mauricio Cabrera, vice-minister of environmental policies and standardization of the Colombian Ministry of the Environment.
This declaration reaffirms the commitment of the Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean to the transition towards an economic model that promotes sustainability, biodiversity protection and social inclusion.
Latin American Circular Economy Festival
This festival is the main meeting place on circular economy in the region to promote the transition to a more sustainable economic model. The event, organized by the Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean in conjunction with the National Government and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), brings together experts from governments, NGOs, businesses and academia.
The objective of the Festival is to promote new forms of production and consumption that consider the complete life cycle of products, including aspects such as waste reduction, ecosystem regeneration and circular design. This year, the Festival also has a hybrid format, allowing the public to participate both in person and virtually.
“The Latin American Circular Economy Festival highlights how important it is for governments, businesses and civil society to work together to achieve an economic model that preserves our biodiversity and ensures a prosperous future. The region must increase its circularity, close the gaps and, consequently, reduce the extraction of virgin resources,” said Juan Bello, UNEP's Regional Director and Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The declaration was signed at the Latin American Circular Economy Festival being held in Bogota. This meeting highlights the need for cooperation between governments, companies and civil society to increase circularity and reduce resource extraction in the region.
In this regard, through keynote lectures, panel discussions and practical workshops, the Festival seeks to promote initiatives that help close the circular gap in Latin America and the Caribbean, where only 1% of the materials used come from circular sources, a figure far below the global average of 7.2%. This event is a key platform for sharing innovative solutions and strengthening collaborative networks in the region.
The Latin American Circular Economy Festival has established itself as the main event in the region for those working in areas related to sustainability, economy and innovation. As environmental challenges intensify, the transition to circularity becomes imperative to ensure a prosperous and equitable future.
This event is in addition to the pre-COP16 meetings being held in Colombia with different sectors.