In unserem Projekt zu Kreislaufgesellschaften zielen wir darauf ab, verschiedene Ansichten und offene Fragen zum Thema zu synthetisieren, um eine umfassende Sichtweise und Perspektive darauf zu präsentieren, was eine Kreislaufgesellschaft im Licht unserer Vision und Mission bedeutet.
Die Wyss Academy sucht die Zusammenarbeit mit mutigen Verbündeten, die bereit sind, das Unbekannte zu erforschen, unbequeme Fragen zu stellen und Ideen zusammenzubringen, die ein gemeinsames Verständnis einer Kreislaufgesellschaft prägen werden. Wir sind bestrebt, spannende und einzigartige Beziehungen zwischen Individuen und Organisationen weltweit aufzubauen.
Encuentra la versión en español abajo de la página
Our journey since 2021
Initial Reflections
In May 2021, we began by asking ourselves a fundamental question: Why should the Wyss Academy engage with the topic of Circular Economy? This reflection led to an important realization our role is not to provide all the answers but to ask the right questions and bring fresh perspectives to this critical discussion
Co-Creation of Principles for a Circular Society
In January 2023, we organized three online co-creation workshops focusing on the transformation toward a Circular Society. These workshops explored how this transformation could be achieved in an inclusive and globally just way, addressing interconnected issues such as net-zero emissions, biodiversity, and the sustainable use of natural resources. Participants from across the globe—including Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs, climate scientists, and others—came together to share their insights and tackle the pressing question of how to create a sustainable future for all.
From Knowledge to Action
The co-creation workshops led to the development of principles for a just and sustainable transformation toward a Circular Society. With these principles in place, we shifted our focus to action. In April 2023, we organized two workshops where participants from around the world collaborated to generate practical ideas for implementing a Circular Society. The call for proposals resulted in 27 submissions from 10 countries across four continents, focusing on circular food systems and alternatives to resource-extractive livelihoods. After a pre-selection process, seven video pitches were created and presented at the 2291 Festival. The jury and the audience then selected three winners to receive funding.
Inclusive Circular Economy Roadmap and Roundtable Discussions
Our commitment to fostering a Circular Society led to a collaboration with Chatham House for the Global Roadmap for an Inclusive Circular Economy. This initiative aims to create a shared vision for a global circular economy and establish a multilateral process for integrated coordination and policy alignment. One of the initiative’s key outputs in 2024 was a policy paper titled How the Circular Economy Can Revive the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the Wyss Academy, inclusivity is central to everything we do. To ensure the policy paper reflected diverse perspectives, particularly those often excluded from policy discussions, such as voices from the Global South, we convened roundtables in Nairobi, Lima, Bangkok, Delhi, and Geneva, with support from Swiss embassies. These discussions brought together diverse stakeholders, including local entrepreneurs, policymakers, civil society leaders, and informal workers, to explore how local practices could inform global circular economy policies. The insights and recommendations gathered from these roundtables played a central role in shaping the policy paper.
Bringing the Topic to Global Fora
In collaboration with our partners Chatham House and WBCSD, we organized events during Climate Week NYC in September 2024 to present the findings of the co-designed policy paper on Inclusive Circular Economy. To ensure that the voices from the roundtable discussions were heard on the global stage, we produced a video that gives insight into their perspectives and contributions.
Looking ahead, we will continue to share our insights and approach to an Inclusive Circular Economy by participating in the Solution Stage on Circular Economy that is part of Action Days at the Building Bridges Conference in Geneva on10th December 2024.
