Panel Discussion on “Circular Economy: Bringing Waste Full Circle”

General objectives: • To promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) across various sectors. • To help stakeholders make informed decisions based on scientific knowledge. • To provide a platform of dialogue and exchange to expert business and government leaders, influential academics and researchers. • To share knowledge and knowhow of environmental issues and technology among the different stakeholders within the community. • To inform the community about future trends and solutions for environmental issues. • To create an intellectual engagement platform with stakeholders. Specific objectives • Support inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogue to help inform interconnected policy-making towards circular economy initiatives at local, regional and international levels. • Strengthen information platforms on sustainable food systems for extension and knowledge sharing amongst producers, consumers and other stakeholders. • Promote reliable and sustainable communication of food product information and awareness on the need to adopt sustainable diets. • Promote reliable and sustainable communication of food product information and awareness on the need to adopt sustainable diets. • Provide opportunities for networking and increase the access to actionable knowledge, information and tools to mainstream sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in food systems. • Encourage, facilitate and support inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogue to help inform interconnected policy-making towards sustainable food systems at local, regional and international levels. The third Panel Discussion for the year 2018 was held on the 29th of August under the theme – “Circular Economy: Bringing Waste Full Circle”. The notion of circular economy has emerged as a beacon for moving away from the take-make-dispose culture, allowing for the efficient management of our shared natural resources and safe disposal of toxic waste and pollutants, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 12 for Sustainable Consumption and Production. As a civil society organisation, EEG aims to strengthen the information platform on circular economy in the UAE, leveraging resources and fostering open dialogue and knowledge sharing amongst producers, consumers and other key stakeholders linked to the circular economy notion. This impactful event was attended by 75 guests from the private sector, government, academia and NGOs. The experts of the day included speakers from Emirates Global Aluminium, AESG Consulting, ETUIX and German Imaging Technologies. They each highlighted the numerous challenges faced in implementing methods towards achieving a circular economy and innovative ways in which one could attain sustainability. The discussion helped highlight the fact that there are many ways, unique to each organisation, which could help reduce waste and use material creatively and thereby meet the sustainable development goals by facilitating better consumption and production patterns. EEG in its pursuant to increase the impact of its work, has continued to work closely with private sector organisations and stakeholders and encourage them to come on board through effective partnership platform to further increase the buy in for its programmes. We would like to invite like-minded partners and sponsors who will play an active role with us and rope in a more diverse group of expert speakers from the UAE and Middle East. We are also confident that with the right partnership, we can further expand this campaign to other Arab countries that are looking to bring about a change in behaviour to their communities and populations while promoting active sustainability.