WCEF 2026 is scheduled to begin in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on September 15, bringing the World Circular Economy Forum to South Asia for the first time. The four-day gathering will focus on how economies can use resources more efficiently while supporting people and prosperity.
The dates are confirmed by the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the United Nations Development Programme. This is a preview of a scheduled event: the forum has not yet opened as of this September 14 update.
WCEF 2026 programme spans four days
The main programme takes place on September 15 and 16, followed by partner-led accelerator sessions on September 17 and 18. Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar is the principal venue, with online participation also available.
The European platform lists four plenary discussions and 16 parallel sessions for the main programme, alongside an exhibition of circular economy solutions. It identifies India’s Central Pollution Control Board and Finland’s innovation fund Sitra as organising bodies.
Participation includes a free online route
In-person attendance is by invitation, according to the European platform’s event notice. Online participation is free and open to registration. UNDP also directs readers to the official online registration service.
Readers planning to follow the event should use the registration links provided by the organisers. A public livestream or online registration does not imply permission to attend the venue without an invitation.
From resource use to practical policy
The forum’s theme connects the circular economy with prosperity and people’s lives. UNDP describes circularity as an approach extending beyond the disposal of waste: it also involves the design, production and use of goods, together with the policies and financing that support those systems.
The European platform similarly places the event within production, consumption, waste management and secondary raw materials. Its programme frames the gathering as a place to examine practical solutions and changes in how businesses use resources.
An international meeting hosted in India
UNDP identifies this as the forum’s tenth edition. It says it will participate as an official partner, contributing to the main programme and accelerator sessions.
The organisation’s notice was published on September 10; the event itself runs from September 15 to 18. Keeping those dates separate avoids treating the announcement as a completed conference.
Any agreements, new programmes or other outcomes announced during the meeting will require a later update. The present confirmed development is that Gandhinagar is preparing to host the forum, with both invited attendance and an online route for a wider audience.
