Ethiopia’s Environmental Protection Authority Director General, Lelise Neme stressed that implementing a circular economy is critical to ensuring sustainable development, achieving national and continental development goals, and building resilient and clean cities.
According to Ethopian News agency, she made the remarks at the opening of the 8th International Forum on Cities and Circular Economy, which has brought together policymakers, experts, and development partners to address the growing solid waste challenge in rapidly urbanizing cities.
A three-day forum, attended by participants from 15 African countries, aims to explore effective waste management solutions and promote experience sharing among member states.
Studies indicate that solid waste generation in Sub-Saharan African cities is rising at an alarming rate, creating increasingly complex environmental and urban management challenges.
In 2016, cities in the region generated 174 million tons of solid waste, a figure projected to reach 522 million tons by 2050 if effective measures are not implemented.
The Forum on Cities and Solid Waste Circular Economy was established as a collaborative platform to tackle these challenges by promoting innovative solutions, strengthening partnerships, and advancing sustainable waste management practices.
Speaking at the opening session, Lelise Neme emphasized that the forum provides an important platform to discuss environmental policy, sustainable development, and the future of cities.
She noted that the Ethiopian government is pursuing ambitious environmental and development goals through initiatives such as the Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy, the Ten-Year National Development Plan, and the National Circular Economy Roadmap, launched during the 2024/25 Ethiopian fiscal year.
“For Ethiopia, the circular economy is not a distant aspiration; it is an essential pathway for achieving sustainable development, building resilient cities, and advancing both national and continental development goals,” she said.
According to her, these frameworks aim to decouple economic growth from resource consumption and environmental degradation through key measures such as strengthening sustainable waste management and recycling systems, including plastics, batteries, and electronic waste.
