Panaji: August 04, 2026
World Circular Economy Forum 2026 (WCEF) will be organized jointly by the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, in coordination with Government of Gujarat. It will be hosted at the Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, India, from September 15-16, 2026. In addition, a variety of accelerator sessions will be held on September 17-18, in Gandhinagar and across the globe. As part of the pre-event activities for the WCEF 2026, Goa State Pollution Control Board successfully organized a technical session on Tuesday focusing on sustainable plastic waste management, circular economy principles, and the Mission LiFE initiative.
The programme was graced by Dr. Levinson J. Martins, IAS, Chairman, GSPCB; Dr. Geeta S. Nagvenkar, GCS, Member Secretary, GSPCB; Dr. J. Chandra Babu, Regional Director, CPCB, Regional Directorate, Bengaluru; Shri. Sanjeev Joglekar, Senior Environmental Engineer, of GSPCB and Dr. Ramaiah Nagappa, Chief Scientist (Retired), CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa.
At the outset, Chairman, GSPCB Dr. Levinson J. Martins, IAS, welcomed all the participants who attended in hybrid mode. Thereafter, Shri J.Chandra Babu, Director (Scientist ‘F’) and Regional Director, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Regional Directorate, Bengaluru, briefed about World Circular Economy Forum 2026 scheduled to be held during September 15-16, 2026 at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. The World Circular Economy Forum, is hosted annually since 2017 by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund.
The first technical session was delivered by Dr. Ramaiah Nagappa, Chief Scientist (Retired), CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, on the topic “Closing the Loop on Plastic: Circular Solutions for Coastal and Tourism Economy.” The session emphasized the importance of reducing plastic pollution, promoting sustainable alternatives, strengthening recycling systems, and adopting circular economy practices, particularly in coastal and tourism-dependent regions.
The technical session on “Mission LiFE Theme: Say No to Single-Use Plastics” was delivered by Shri. Sanjeev Joglekar, Senior Environmental Engineer, of GSPCB and focused on the Mission LiFE initiative, encouraging behavioural change towards environmentally responsible lifestyles, reducing dependence on single-use plastics, and promoting sustainable consumption practices.
The programme witnessed active participation from Government departments including Urban Local Bodies, Village Panchayats, Educational Institutions, Industries, Students, and other stakeholders from Goa apart from officials of other States viz Karnataka, Kerala, Megalaya, Oddisa, Ladakh. About 140 participants participated in the awareness programme.
