Chairholder Prof. Konstantinos Aravossis Participates in a “Circular Economy” Panel at the 9th Sustainability Summit for SE Europe & the Mediterranean

At the Economist’s 9th Sustainability Summit in Athens, the UNESCO Chairholder highlighted how resource efficiency, innovation and citizen engagement can accelerate the transition to climate neutrality, in a dedicated panel discussion on “Circular Economy: Accelerating Climate Goals Through Resource Efficiency”.

The session took place on 14 October 2025 and was moderated by Alasdair Ross, Countries Editor at The Economist. Together with Di Gilpin (CEO, SGS), Professor Aravosis explored how circularity can become a catalyst for achieving Europe’s climate objectives.

In his intervention, Professor Aravossis emphasized that the circular economy is no longer a complementary tool but a core pathway for achieving both zero-carbon and zero-waste objectives. He explained that this transition is strongly supported by the European policy framework — particularly the European Climate Law and the Circular Economy Action Plan — which together lay the foundations for a low-carbon, resource-efficient future.

He highlighted the central role of technology and innovation, noting that advances in eco-design, energy-efficient production and new material cycles that enable businesses to produce more while consuming fewer resources.

Equally important, he stressed, is the active engagement of citizens: everyday decisions such as separating waste at home or choosing sustainable products directly influence the success of national and European targets.

Professor Aravosis undersocred the need for a holistic approach to the circular transition, one that brings together sustainable production, responsible consumption and modern waste-management systems where waste is transformed into valuable resources. He emphasized that Greece must align green technology, industrial strategy and active citizen engagement so that the circular economy becomes a practical reality. As noted in the session’s concluding remark: “We may not be moving as fast as needed, but we are moving forward — and we now know the path.”

The full speech of Prof. Aravossis is available to watch here.