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Ethiopia has commenced the process of developing a National Circular Economy Roadmap (NCER), with the support of the African Development Bank. The process officially started on July 19 at an event in Addis Ababa, attended by Ethiopian government officials and representatives of the Bank.

The development of the Roadmap is being funded by the Bank’s Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), and implemented in collaboration with the African Circular Economy Alliance(link is external) (ACEA).

Ethiopia, with an estimated population of 129 million , faces significant socio-economic and environmental challenges, including high unemployment, rapid urbanization, and inefficient waste management. The National Circular Economy Roadmap being developed will seek to address these challenges by identifying key actions to enable the country unleash the potential of a circular economy.

The Roadmap will create an enabling environment for the efficient use of resources, while also strengthening policy, legal and institutional frameworks and build capacity in the public and private sectors.

"The Circular Economy in Africa represents a billion-dollar opportunity and is part of the solution to climate change,” said John Bosco Bukenya, Principal Country Program Officer at the Bank Group. “To unleash this potential, we need to establish an enabling environment, and that's exactly what we are doing with the National Circular Economy Roadmaps.”

The development of Ethiopia’s Circular Economy Roadmap is part of a multi-country programme of the ACEF covering Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Uganda. ACEF is the sole multi-donor trust fund dedicated to mainstreaming the circular economy as a strategy for green growth in Africa.

The Roadmap will be in line with Ethiopia's 10-Year Development Plan. This advocates for inclusive and sustainable growth through agro-industrialization, improved connectivity, and competitiveness. It will also support the country's goal of a 68.8 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.

At the launch event, Nugus Lemma, Deputy Director-General of Ethiopia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) expressed gratitude for the Bank Group’s financing support.

He added, "The Circular Economy is not an option, it is mandatory for Ethiopia. This is an economic model that will help the country to adopt a more sustainable path, and it is our responsibility to work together to make it happen in our country."

Key sectors for intervention of the Ethiopian National Circular Economy Roadmap include construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and waste management. Implementing the Roadmap will conserve resources, reduce pollution, create green jobs, and stimulate economic growth.