To disseminate knowledge among the parliaments of the Member States of SELA on strategies for sustainable and inclusive economic development, from the perspective of the Circular Economy.

Date and time: Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 May 2022, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Caracas.

Aimed at: Members of parliaments, senates and national assemblies of Latin America and the Caribbean; legal-technical staff of these entities.

Format: Two-day online conference, consisting of two 2-hour sessions per day. 

Platform: Zoom

Registration form: https://bit.ly/3ktmDNb

Languages: Spanish and English

1. Present to the Latin American and Caribbean parliaments the circular economy as a strategy for economic and social development, in line with their commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
2. Identify areas where legislative development would be beneficial to create the necessary conditions for the transition to the circular economy.
3. Identify and share a repertoire of legislative actions that can support the implementation of the circular economy.

First session: The circular economy as a strategy for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Second session: Advances in circular economy regulations: LAC and the world.

Third session: Challenges facing the transition in the private sector that require legislative attention.

Fourth session: Participants' round table

The challenges for economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean are not limited to those resulting from the pandemic. Even before the crisis, the region was facing severe economic and social problems, with unemployment and undernourishment rates on the rise since the commodity super-cycle closed in 2014. Our region's economic structure, overly dependent on the extraction of raw materials, will need to change if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be met.

A repertoire of strategies will need to be implemented to achieve a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery that addresses pre-existing structural weaknesses. Among these strategies, the circular economy is an attractive alternative, as it promises not only job creation, increased innovation and the generation of growth opportunities, but also progress towards environmental goals, such as the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the reduction of plastic waste, and the regeneration of ecosystems.

The Circular Economy aims to eliminate waste and pollution by design, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. By following these principles, several companies and public entities have managed to reduce their costs, lessen their negative environmental impact, and even provide better products and services to their beneficiaries, while restoring previously damaged natural environments.

The Circular Economy is simultaneously an environmental strategy and an economic development strategy. The transition to the circular economy would create 4.8 million additional jobs and promote economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean,[1] partly due to an international trade context where it is increasingly important to meet sustainability criteria.[2] The environmental benefits are also immense: this strategy would avoid 45% of greenhouse gas emissions that are due to the way we produce goods and food, making its implementation crucial to combat climate change.[3]

There are legislative barriers that hinder the transition to the circular economy, as well as legislative initiatives that could promote it. In this event, SELA aims to identify and share some of these challenges and opportunities, whose understanding would allow the parliaments of the region to devise reforms and initiatives that generate economic, social and environmental benefits.

[1] Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)/International Labour Organization (ILO), “Sostenibilidad medioambiental con empleo en América Latina y el Caribe”, Coyuntura Laboral en América Latina y el Caribe, Nº 19 (LC/TS.2018/85), Santiago, 2018.

[2] United Nations/Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V, La contribución del comercio internacional a la economía circular en América Latina y el Caribe: una síntesis, (LC/TS.2021/201), Panama City, 2022.

[3] Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Completing the picture: How the circular economy tackles climate change, 2021.