NAIROBI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), an investors lobby, on Monday rolled out a new roadmap to revitalize the growth of the circular economy in the country, tackle environmental pollution, and boost human health.
Officials said that businesses have rallied behind circularity principles that have presented a durable solution to the plastic waste menace in rapidly growing urban centers.
Carole Kariuki, the chief executive officer (CEO) of KEPSA, said that dialogue among investors and policymakers has gained steam to embed circularity in national development plans.
Kariuki opined that Kenya has emerged as a circular economy hub in the region, backed by friendly policies, regulations, uptake of green technologies, and robust citizens' involvement.
On Wednesday, Kenya will host the Seventh Annual Circular Economy Conference convened by the lobby in partnership with the Rock Group, an international consultancy firm, the European Union, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is expected that more than 300 delegates including policymakers, industry executives, and innovators will participate in the one-day conference to be held in a hybrid format and agree on a new vision for circularity in Kenya.
Karin Boomsma, project director at KEPSA-affiliated Sustainable Inclusive Business, said that businesses must transform their production and consumption models, and integrate waste recycling into their corporate social responsibility to help eradicate plastic pollution in cities and rural towns.
Charles Karangwa, IUCN's Regional Head for Land Systems and Kenya Country Representative, stressed that investing in circularity will be key to the realization of a sustainable, green, and resilient future for citizens and their natural assets. ■
