Prestigious Circular Economy Hotspot to be held in Sydney 2026
Sydney has won the right to host the prestigious Asia Pacific Circular Hotspot next year in a winning bid focusing on strong Pacific inclusion and circular economy action for climate and nature.
A global jury selected the Sydney bid by Circular Australia, University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for its strong inclusion of Pacific nations, ambition to strengthen the connection between circular economy and climate action, while addressing pressing waste challenges along the way.
Sydney will follow in the footsteps of Taiwan which organised the first Circular Hotspot event in the Asia Pacific region over the past week (October 21-23) with 500 participants from 47 countries sharing latest circular insights.
“We are deeply honoured to have the ears and eyes of the Asia Pacific regions on us in 2026, and we will strive to build new connections and create lasting circular impact,” Circular Australia CEO Lisa McLean said.
The Premier of New South Wales the Hon Chris Minns said, “Hosting the Asia Pacific Circular Economy Hotspot 2026 in Sydney is a testament to NSW's leadership in building a resilient, innovative and sustainable economy. Our state’s ambitious Circular Economy Policy and strong partnerships across government, industry, and research are accelerating our transition to a low-waste, high-value future. Through Choose Circular, we’re using Government procurement as a lever to stimulate innovation and demand for recycled materials.”
“We look forward to welcoming leaders to Sydney to share ideas, forge partnerships, and drive real progress for our region and the world”, Premier Minns added.
“A thriving Asia Pacific circular economy will help build a safe, sustainable and prosperous future for all the region, from Asia to Australia and Oceania nations - affected by waste, pollution and climate change,” UNSW Scientia Professor Deo Prasad said.
Amanda Lampe CEO BESydney said: “We are proud to have collaborated with Circular Australia to win the opportunity to bring the Asia Pacific Circular Hotspot to Sydney in 2026 and look forward to the conversations it ignites and innovative solutions promoted that will position Sydney and Oceania at the forefront of a movement.
“Transitioning to a circular economy offers great economic and environmental opportunities for business and communities. By rethinking how we produce, consume and regenerate resources it is possible to reduce waste, be more productive and drive sustainable growth and jobs.”
Background
The events have a long European tradition with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Scotland, Belgium, Catalonia, Nord Rhine Westphalia, Dublin, Wales, and recently, Slovenia as proud hosts. In Africa, the event took place in Lagos (Nigeria), Cape Town (South Africa) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The event has furthermore seen editions in the Americas: Santiago de Chile (Chile), Guelph (Canada) and will be in November 2025 hosted in Guadalajara (Mexico).
Since 2016, when the first Circular Hotspot event took place in the Netherlands, Circular Hotspot events have been organized annually under the wings of Holland Circular Hotspot. These events showcase the organising countries' circular activities and share their best business practices, policies and approaches. They have been successful in stimulating businesses to adopt circular principles and have inspired circular action and policies in new countries. They have created nothing less than a circular legacy.
This week the jury came together to elect a winner of the Circular Hotspot event in 2026 in the Asia Pacific region. The jury consisted of representatives from former Hotspot event organizers: Holland Circular Hotspot (2016), ACEN Nigeria Chapter (2023), Hochschule Ruhr West (North Rhine Westphalia, 2022), Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment and Taiwan Circular Network.
The jury has confidence that Circular Australia, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Business Events Sydney (BESydney) and Oceania partners have the experience, network, and determination to make the event a great success. They appreciated the strong momentum to further scale up the Circular Economy in NSW and Australia and learn from First Nations practices. The jury embraces the objective of the event to empower businesses and government in both Australia and the wider Asia Pacific Region. More specifically, the jury supports the aim to unite the Pacific Island nations with Asia to strengthen the connection between Circular Economy and climate action, while addressing pressing waste challenges along the way.
In 2026, Circular Economy Hotspot events will be hosted not only in Sydney, NSW/Australia (Asia Pacific edition), but also in Budapest, Hungary (European edition), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Middle East edition), and Gaborone, Botswana (African edition).
