World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) will be organised jointly by the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, in coordination with Government of Gujarat. WCEF2026 will be hosted at the Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 15-16 September, 2026. In addition, a variety of accelerator sessions will be held on 17 and 18 September in Gandhinagar and around the globe plus a variety of side events throughout the year.
To build nationwide awareness and stakeholder engagement in the run-up to the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026, the CPCB has been entrusted with the planning and execution of pre-event activities across the country in collaboration with SPCBs/PCCs along with Technical institutes such as IIT/NIT/MIT/CSIR.
Accordingly, as part of the Pre-Event Activities for the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026, Goa State Pollution Control Board successfully organized a technical session on 04th August 2026 focusing on sustainable plastic waste management, circular economy principles, and the Mission LiFE initiative.
The programme was graced by Dr. Levinson J. Martins, IAS, Chairman, Goa State Pollution Control BoardDr. Geeta S. Nagvenkar, GCS, Member Secretary, Goa State Pollution Control BoardDr. J. Chandra Babu, Regional Director, Central Pollution Control Board, Regional Directorate, BengaluruSanjeev Joglekar, Senior Environmental Engineer,of GSPCB.Dr. Ramaiah Nagappa, Chief Scientist (Retired), CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa.
At the outset Chairman, Goa State Pollution Control Board welcomed all the participants who attended in hybrid mode. Thereafter, J.Chandra Babu, Director (Scientist ‘F’) & Regional Director, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Regional Directorate, Bengaluru, briefed about World Circular Economy Forum2026 scheduled to be held during September 15-16, 2026 at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat.
The World Circular Economy Forum, is hosted annually since 2017 by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund. The 10th edition of World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) will be held from 15th to 18th September, 2026, first time in India and South Asia. MoEF&CC designated CPCB as nodal agency.
The first technical session was delivered by Dr. Ramaiah Nagappa, Chief Scientist (Retired), CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, on the topic “Closing the Loop on Plastic: Circular Solutions for Coastal and Tourism Economy.” The session emphasized the importance of reducing plastic pollution, promoting sustainable alternatives, strengthening recycling systems, and adopting circular economy practices, particularly in coastal and tourism-dependent regions.
The technical session on “Mission LiFE Theme: Say No to Single-Use Plastics” was delivered by Sanjeev Joglekar, Senior Environmental Engineer,of GSPCB. The session focused on the Mission LiFE initiative, encouraging behavioural change towards environmentally responsible lifestyles, reducing dependence on single-use plastics, and promoting sustainable consumption practices.
The programme was witnessed active participation from Government Departments iincluding Urban Local Bodies, Village Panchayats, Educational Institutions, Industries, Students, and other stakeholders from Goa State apart from officials of other States viz Karnataka, Kerala, Megalaya, Oddisa, Ladakh. About 140 participants participated in the awareness programme.
