Advancing a just transition to a circular economy: Scaling up individual action to collectively drive systemic change – a WCEF2021 Accelerator Session

Plastics, electronics, and textiles waste volumes have led to environmental, social and health issues, especially in low- and middle-income countries. A transition to a circular economy is necessary to address the environmental challenges, but also needs to be just and inclusive, in order to provide opportunities for decent work in conditions of equity, security, and human dignity.

This session builds on two sessions that were held in April 2021 at the WCEF+Climate that focused on the importance of integrating decent work in effective collection of electronics and plastics. These discussions led to the development of a joint initiative by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE), focusing on three key work areas to advance a just transition in electronics, plastics, and textiles.