Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series
#04 – Circular Economy: Creating Urban Resilience & Employment (March 11, 2021)
“Where there is waste, there is potential for energy.” – Nuriel Pezarkar; Founder & CEO, NobleExchange Environment Solutions. This lens challenges us to think about our approach to consumption and production. As our world continues to urbanize and populations continue to grow, circularity is key in building sustainable and resilient communities. In this Cities on The Frontline Speaker Series, we learn from experiences in Pune, Bangalore and Quito about the role of waste management, employment, funding and consumer behaviour in
building a circular economy.
In the city of Pune alone, 2000 tonnes of waste is generated per day, 1100 tonnes of which is food waste. If mismanaged, food waste can result in severe negative environmental impacts such as, the worsening of air, groundwater and soil quality. Furthermore, in India, 18% of energy consumed by the transportation sector and 98% of this energy is met through petroleum products. Cities like Pune and Bangalore examined these two challenges under the lens of circularity to innovate sustainable solutions. Pezarkar shares his experience in using food waste to fuel public transportation and provides valuable information on the mechanics of this process.
Executive Director of CONQUITO, Wilson Merino, continues the dialogue by discussing how a circular economy framework helps generate employment and brings opportunities to all sectors. He shares a pilot project to develop an eco-industrial estate in Quito. Merino describes how central collaborative efforts are in economic growth and developing circular systems.
Wilson Merino
Executive Director, CONQUITO Economic Promotion Agency, Quito
“If cities are facing challenges in project financing, KPIs, and vision, I believe the keyword is collaboration.”
“A circular economy is not just about fixing environmental damage, it can bring opportunities and positive impacts across industries, sectors and lives.”
Wilson Merino‘s presentation
Nuriel Pezarkar
Founder and CEO, NobleExchange Environment Solutions
“Where there is waste, there is potential for energy.”
“When you bring waste pickers and scavengers into formal employment it has an enormous social impact.”
