Ethiopia showcases circular economy ambitions at Addis Ababa Hotspot Event

ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia took a major step toward embedding sustainability into its economic future with the Ethiopia Circular Economy Hotspot Event 2025, held in Addis Ababa.

The event, which brought together government leaders, international partners, and industry stakeholders, highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts to transition to a circular economy while inspiring collaboration, innovation, and investment across sectors.

A circular economy is a regenerative economic system that aims to eliminate waste and pollution by keeping products and materials in use through reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling.

Ethiopia’s commitment to this model is captured in its newly launched National Circular Economy Roadmap, a blueprint that outlines pathways for circularity in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and digital technology.

“It is our guiding document for embedding circularity into key sectors,” said Lelise Neme, Director-General of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

She emphasized that the shift is not only policy-driven but also people-centered. As evidence, she cited Ethiopia’s “Clean Ethiopia: Stewardship to Culture” campaign, which has already engaged more than 30 million citizens in just four months through community outreach and media platforms.

Highlighting the developmental potential of circular practices, Helen Debebe, State Minister of Housing and Urban Development, said, “Ethiopia’s Circular Economy is not just environmental protection but also a strategic development opportunity.

“By embracing circularity, we will create new value chains, reduce dependency on imports, and unlock opportunities for both urban and rural communities.”

The event also underscored the importance of global partnerships. Sinikka Antila, Finland’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, reaffirmed the role of collaboration between the African Union, European Union, Finland, and Ethiopia in turning vision into reality.

“Together we can build economies that respect planetary boundaries while offering prosperity and dignity for people,” she noted.

Practical cooperation is already underway. James Njeru, Program Manager at GIZ’s Natural Resources Stewardship component, said partnerships have supported Ethiopia in developing integrated waste management systems in Addis Ababa and other cities.

The focus, he explained, is on reducing water pollution, creating jobs, and establishing new value chains centred on resource recovery.

Ethiopia’s circular economy agenda comes at a time when African nations are increasingly exploring sustainable economic models to address waste, resource dependency, and climate change.

By positioning itself at the forefront of this movement, Ethiopia seeks not only to safeguard its environment but also to generate inclusive growth, create green jobs, and strengthen resilience.

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