As COP30 convenes in Belém, Brazil, Africa’s climate advocates are spotlighting a transformative, yet often overlooked solution: the circular economy. In a continent where waste is abundant and resources are scarce, circularity offers a pathway to climate resilience, economic inclusion, and environmental justice.
What Is a Circular Economy?
Unlike the traditional linear model of “take, make, dispose,” a circular economy is regenerative by design. It emphasizes:
• Reusing, repairing, and recycling materials to extend their life.
• Designing out waste and pollution.
• Creating closed-loop systems that mimic nature’s cycles.
For Africa, this model is not just theoretical, it’s practical. Informal waste workers, community recyclers, and local innovators have long practiced circularity out of necessity. COP30 presents an opportunity to scale these efforts with policy support and climate finance.
Waste as a Resource
Africa generates over 125 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, much of which ends up in open dumps or waterways. Yet this waste holds untapped value:
• Organic waste can be composted or converted into biogas.
• Plastic and e-waste can be recycled into new products.
• Agricultural residues can be transformed into biochar, packaging, or building materials.
Countries like Rwanda, Ghana, and South Africa are pioneering circular economy strategies, integrating waste management with green job creation and climate mitigation.
Circularity and the Just Transition
At COP30, African negotiators are linking circular economies to the broader just transition agenda. This means:
• Formalizing and protecting informal waste workers, who are often excluded from climate finance and labor protections.
• Investing in local circular enterprises, especially those led by women and youth.
• Embedding circularity in climate plans, such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and adaptation strategies.
The African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA), supported by the African Development Bank, is advocating for regional collaboration and knowledge sharing to accelerate circular solutions.
What’s at Stake
If COP30 fails to prioritize circular economies:
• Africa may miss a key opportunity to reduce emissions and build climate resilience
• Waste will continue to pollute ecosystems and harm public health
• Informal workers will remain marginalized in the green transition
But if circularity is embraced, Africa can turn waste into wealth, creating jobs, restoring ecosystems, and powering a regenerative future.
AfriCGE’s Call to Action at COP30
As the circular economy gains renewed attention at COP30, AfriCGE’s COP30 Position Paper reinforces why circularity must be embedded at the heart of Africa’s climate negotiations. The paper calls for people-centred, locally driven, and justice-focused climate solutions, principles that align directly with the circular economy’s potential to uplift informal workers, empower women and youth, and strengthen community-based resilience. AfriCGE urges policymakers, development partners, and climate finance institutions to prioritise circular approaches within NDCs, adaptation strategies, and just transition frameworks. By doing so, Africa can unlock meaningful green jobs, scale local innovation, and accelerate a regenerative economic model that leaves no one behind.
Sources:
- African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA)
- UNEP – Africa Waste Management Outlook
- African Development Bank – Circular Economy Initiatives
- COP30 Africa Day – Circularity and Climate Finance
Author: Allen Kemigisa
Research & Communications Intern
