Circular Innovation Council hosted an immersive and interactive experience designed to offer guidance and practice for professionals and entrepreneurs across public and private sectors to accelerate circular economies in communities around the world by leveraging collaborative buying power.
Over a multitude of concentrated sessions, attendees gained knowledge from circular practitioners who redefined value through strategic circular purchasing and adopting business models to respond to circular tenders.
Topics that were featured:
October 18th – 21st, 2021
Monday, October 18th:
People, Planet, Prosperity: Leading Governments Using Procurement to Accelerate Circular Economies
Public procurement can play a key role in redefining value that balances people, planet, and prosperity in a post-COVID reality with a goal to build back better.
This session showcased governments at any level around the globe that are leveraging procurement to accelerate a circular economy.
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Andy Rees OBE, Head of Waste Strategy Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy – Government of Wales
Leona Silberstein, Environmental Inspector – City of Helsinki
Lars Anders Joensson, Chief of Innovation Policy Section – UN Economic Commission for Europe
Reinier Guijt, Senior Policymaker – Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
International Trade Agreements: Friends or Foes of Circular Economy
Public procurement is regulated by legal frameworks and, at a federal level, commitments related to international trade agreements apply to different levels of governments in various ways.
This session explored trade agreements and their role as a potential barrier to integrating circular requirements in public procurement or if they can be leveraged to enable it.
Featured Speakers:
Mark Fisher, CEO and President – Council of the Great Lakes Region
Sandra Hamilton – Manchester Institute of Innovation Research
Jeffrey Weiss, Partner – Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Tuesday, October 19th
Demanding Circular: How to Change Tender Requirements to Drive Markets Towards Circularity
The success of circular procurement depends on buyers who have the knowledge and skills to achieve the best value beyond the lowest price. But are there willing markets to support the shift in procurement criteria and scoring, and can we mitigate risks to ensure a smooth process?
This session explored key changes that are required in tenders and Request for Proposals to shift markets and realign value propositions to deliver social and environmental outcomes along with fair pricing while mitigating risk.
Featured Speakers:
Frances Edmonds, Head of Sustainable Impact – HP Canada
Dr. Mervyn Jones, Director – Sustainable Global Resources
Jean Simard, President and CEO – Aluminum Association of Canada
Andrea Westfall, Sustainable Procurement Coordinator, City of Mississauga
Wednesday, October 20th
Net Zero By 2050: Tackling Embedded Emissions Through Procurement
As the largest buyers and most powerful procurers in their respective jurisdictions, governments are best positioned to shift markets that support and deliver low-carbon goods and services.
This session focused on how governments of all sizes are leveraging procurement opportunities to deliver on their carbon emissions commitments.
Featured Speakers:
Soledad Reeve, Senior Advisor – Centre for Greening Government
Stephanie Cairns, Director – Circular Economy Smart Prosperity Institute
John Paxton, Strategy & Development Manager – Cardiff Council, Wales
Maud Vastbinder, Project Manager CO2 Performance Ladder Europe – Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO)
Thursday, October 21st
Circular Procurement Supporting Local Economies
Circular procurement can potentially facilitate opportunities for SMEs; leverage their local focus and services; and align them with circular business models that includes swap, share, repair, and reverse logistics.
This session uncovered how circular procurement can be a strategy to enable SMEs to scale-up and build local economies.
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Greg Lavery, Managing Director – Rype Office
Rosemary Cooper, Project Director – Share Reuse Repair Initiative
Tim Coldwell, President – Chandos
Aure Adell, Expert Consultant – ECPAR
Power of Local: How Circular Procurement Supports Communities
Cities, municipalities, and First Nations have the most significant collective buying power of the entire public sector. As population hubs, they are also centres for innovation and incubation, which gives them a first-hand account and influence of the effects of climate change, waste reduction, and social inequity.
This session explored local and immediate influence of using procurement to encourage circular goods and services in communities.
Featured Speakers:
Marcos Badra, Waste Management Analyst – City of Richmond
Soni Craik Christie, Co-Founder/ Principle Consultant – SCC Consulting
Stephanie Crocker, Co-Founder/Principle Consultant – SCC Consulting
Manny Argiropoulos, Chief SME Stakeholder Engagement – Public Services and Procurement Canada
David Boivin, Manager Collaboration Procurement – Public Services and Procurement Canada
Spend Categories
November 15th – 18th
10:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m EDT (UTC-4)
Leveraging Procurement to Influence Markets
There are several common spend categories in public procurement. Each category presents a different opportunity to leverage the five circular business models in order to deliver on the benefits of circularity. In these category spend sessions, buyers and vendors demonstrate, at sector- and product-specific levels, are actioning circular supply and demand. Presentations will include actual case studies.
