More than 400 experts, including government authorities, industry representatives, academics, and members of civil society, are gathered this week in Panama City for the I International Forum on the Circular Economy.
The forum, with the motto "Transforming Panama towards a circular future," aims to debate the progress, challenges, and opportunities that the Circular Economy offers as a fundamental tool for articulating strategic alliances, efficient resource management, and developing best practices in sustainability.
Over two days, participants are involved in discussion panels, technical workshops, expert conferences, and networking sessions. This event, being the first international edition of its kind in the country, represents a crucial opportunity to position Panama as a regional stage that facilitates articulation between the public, private, academic, and civil society sectors to accelerate the implementation of circular models and mobilize national and international actors.
Various public and private institutions are participating, including the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP), the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES), the Ministry of Public Works, the National Customs Authority, the Ministry of Health (MINSA), and the Ministry of the Presidency.
The synergy generated seeks to foster the identification of business and innovation opportunities, as well as the design of public policies and green financing needed to drive circularity as a development engine.
Minister Navarro highlighted the decisive actions taken to promote the circular management of plastics, promoting their valorization, recycling, and the creation of sustainable value chains and green jobs.
He explained that the Circular Economy allows a material, once its use is finished, to re-enter the production cycle, creating an inexhaustible source for companies and entrepreneurs.
The forum also mentions the recent approval of the Circular Economy Law and the existence of a sustainable finance entity for the banking sector.
The event features the participation of nearly 40 speakers, including four international representatives from Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
This strategic reflection space will define multi-faceted action routes in four central thematic axes: The Path to a Circular Panama; Construction Industry; Agro-processing and Sustainable Food Chains; and Water Cycle / "Every Drop Counts".
In his opening remarks, on behalf of President José Raúl Mulino, Minister Navarro stated that "the Circular Economy is not an option, it is a probable path to effectively respond to the challenges of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution".
He also underlined that the analysis and consultation of the Circular Economy Law, currently in the approval process, represent a great advance in institutionalizing this vision.
Juan Bello, a Regional Representative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), intervened to highlight the possibility of innovating through circularity. According to Bello, most industrial waste can be reused and repurposed, for example, for the construction of new structures.
