 Welcome everyone. I'm David McGinty, the Global Director for the Platform to Accelerate the Circular Economy, or PACE. We're excited to be facilitating today's discussion on what we can do to scale our circular economy actions to support recovery and resilience. Born from the Forum, PACE is a coalition of over 80 CEOs and ministers working on rapidly scaling circular economy solutions around the globe. During 2020, coalition partners have been working on several fronts, including launching new alliances in Africa and Latin America, launching seven new projects and brokering new partnerships on critical issues like trade and climate. We're excited to bring insights from that work to today's discussions. But first, a little housekeeping. If you experience technical difficulties during the webinar, please use the chat function by adding a comment. We'll have support on the line to assist you. The chat function appears as a conversation bubble in the Zoom toolbar. We will post information during the session in the chat function, so please keep an eye out. Throughout the webinar, we invite you to share your thoughts and questions, or if you prefer to be heard, feel free to raise your hand. To raise your hand, select the hand icon in the Zoom toolbar, and we'll call on you and you can unmute your mic to ask your question. So if we look at the agenda through today's agenda, we'll hear from several global leaders with most of the time spent in discussion. First, Antonia Gowel, the deputy head of the Forum Center for Global Public Goods, will set the stage for us. Then, Rold Lapierre, the vice minister for the environment of the Netherlands, will share perspectives from the Netherlands on this moment and their actions. I'll come back and lead us into breakout sessions with discussions on food, fashion, plastics, and electronics. So please begin to consider which breakout group you would like to join, and I'll provide instructions on that later. Now, please join me in welcoming Antonia Gowel. Thanks, David. And on behalf of the World Economic Forum, I really want to welcome everyone. I'm sorry not to see everybody in person in New York, but it's a pleasure to join you all here virtually for this session on strengthening recovery and resilience through the circular economy. And I think the keyword here is also action. So I think just reminding, as David said, we launched PACE in 2018 with many of you on the line, really with two key objectives. So number one is we know that to progress the circular economy, we need the public and the private and other stakeholders to really come together to turn commitments, first take commitments and then translate these commitments into collaborative actions, because we know that we still need to unblock a lot of the system level barriers that are standing in our way of progress. So I think we really have to come together and drive forward action in these different areas. The good news in a sense is that we find that this platform and the relevance of this issue remains completely relevant in the current context. So what I'll highlight here is really four dimensions, I suppose, that we can think about these issues from in relation to the Great Reset Initiative. Also that the forum is really driving and pushing through the Sustainable Development Impact Summit, but also as we both address the immediate crisis as well as work with economies to come through to recovery. And so the first point that I'll talk about a bit is shared prosperity. So there are more than 2 billion people working informally according to the International Labor Organization, that's about 62% of the global workforce. We'll talk today as David mentioned about key value chains, fashion, electronics, plastics, food, and so we need to recognize that a large number of the workers at the beginning and the end of these value chains are informal are working under very tenuous conditions. For example, the sudden slowdown that we saw in the demand across the fashion textiles industry has resulted in the quick and sudden loss of employment for many vulnerable workers and factories who have no social security safety nets. And so what we need to do is really focus on the fact also that our current system of tight and rapid throughput has resulted in some of these unsustainable practices as well. And then if we flip to the other side of the spectrum, of course, we have a huge workforce helping really in actually make the circular economy a reality. These are the informal waste pickers. And so with our global plastic action partnership we've been working in particular to draw attention to the need to support the health and safety of these important workers in countries like Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam. And I think my first point here is that as we look at thinking about building what we call us the supply chain resilience. Through a circular economy, we need to also focus on shaping the system to provide resilience for all of the people within it as well as for the natural environment that we seek to protect. And that's one, two is around technology innovation. So as one of the big key pillars of the great reset is how can we leverage the power of technology to help us accelerate progress and societal progress in particular. So we've been thinking about how for our technology can help accelerate the circular economy now for a number of years. And last year actually at SDI we launched what we call the scale 360 initiative to help us really channel energy into this space. How can we surface the disruptors the innovators the entrepreneurs that are really finding the solutions that we so desperately need and leveraging technology at the same time. Another characteristic of this relates to the first is that we do think that innovation ecosystems can and should be distributed. So how can we really surface solutions from around the world and foster ground up opportunities, let's say to play a role in in advancing the circular economy. So scale 360 we'll talk more about that tomorrow is is very much an active build mode and we welcome all collaborators to work with us on on that. And the space that all flag is around global and regional collaboration. We've seen that solutions to this current crisis, like advancing the circular economy transition requires great collaboration at regional national levels. And following on from the SDI I think we'll continue to drive that theme through circular economy discussions as well David referenced a number of actions that have been progressing on shaping alliances in Africa and Latin America. I would say surface the leadership that's coming through countries around the world in addressing the circular economy and moving that forward. And so what we'll be doing and again will collaborate with many of you is driving a series of regional dialogues and bringing together leaders, looking at value chain solutions looking at innovations. Yes, here at a global level but actually also through regional dialogues between November and and through the beginning of next year as well. So we again welcome the opportunity to really work across all of those different stakeholders and driving collaborative efforts down, I would say throughout the world. And finally better business. I think one thing just to flag a little bit more broadly perhaps in the circular economy but actually just a few hours ago. We launched, let's say the next phase of an effort to really draw attention and support behind shaping a common set of metrics and disclosures for non financial sector, but non financial factors around investments to other stakeholders so ESG basically how do we make sure there's that common set of metrics and frameworks we know that for decades stakeholders have been pushing this. And there's a lot of amazing work that's been happening and what I would flag around circular economy. There are some metrics related to circular economy and this is really the community that can help inform and guide exactly how those metrics get taken to the next level and implemented I would say much more broadly throughout organizations globally so I would say the last piece around better business for this community is how to really support the uptake of very common metrics and frameworks and also influence those. So I'll stop there. We have a lot of work I think to do collectively over the next six months and are super happy to be collaborating with pace and all of you on the line to really drive these efforts forward. And so with that I think I'll hand the floor over to Roald LePair, the Vice Minister for Environment and International Affairs from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water of the Netherlands. Thanks Antonia. I think we're having some technical issues here for a second. Oh, there you are. Excellent. We're not. Roald, welcome to the session and we welcome your comments please. Thank you. Thank you very much and I had a bit of difficulty getting in so I didn't change my background you can see I'm working from home. As many of us I suppose are doing in these days. And let me first of all start by by expressing our apologies for our minister not being able to join here today but I'm very happy to replace her here. And to share some experiences with you on on the role that the platform for the acceleration of a certain economy in our opinion can can play in bringing circular economy to the forefront of the great recent where we're speaking of today. Covid 19 aside from the health challenges it poses of course puts additional pressure on our economies and is already leading to recessions and economic economic downturn all around the world. And alongside of course the health crisis we're facing we're still have the climate crisis. We still have the extreme weather related to it we have the biodiversity crisis, and it is clear I suppose that we need a resilient and cross sectoral recovery, providing solutions that really bring us further. And I would I would like to say that one of the fundamental shifts I believe we are looking for we should be aiming for an economy is to take the present take make waste model to a circular model. I think that is the core of what my government is aiming for. And we believe that the pace the platform on the acceleration of circular economy is very instrumental in in in realizing. Of course the circular economy is focused on designing out waste, designing out pollution and keeping products and materials in use in the production and use chain, thereby regenerate regenerating natural systems to prevent exhausting our planet and most of us I suppose are well aware of the fact that the so called world world overshoot day was on the 22nd of August this year, meaning that every month we sorry every year we have to borrow four months from our children and grandchildren, because we just use too much resources we use much more resources than the world can sustainably produce changing the way we make and use products. Has a significant impact on climate change. And I think this is something that is sometimes overlooked and that's why I would like to emphasize that as well right here and right now. 50% of our CO2 emissions are related to energy use. I think many people are very aware of that. What some people are less aware of is that the other 50% is actually related to material use. So we cannot have a carbon neutral society without a circular economy. It is in reality, a one degree difference if we don't Enshrine the circular economy in all our thinking in all our policies, then we will not meet the climate change goals we are aiming for. The platform for the acceleration of the circular economy plays a very important role in accelerating but also catalyzing the transition to a circular economy, especially as a platform where very different partners work together in making that Transition work that is partners from private sector from governments but also from non governmental actors and in line with the building back matter approach in line with the great reset. The leadership of pace has recommended for focus points for important elements and I would like to briefly mention them and reflect on them also from from our perspective. First of all, this is the recovery stimulus on green and circular investments. And this is one that I think is very important in these days, these weeks, these months where almost every government in the world is working on a recovery or stimulus package. So I think it's very important to realize that that is where things begin. The second focus of the pace leadership is on creating a policy framework for the circular economy. And here I would like to share with you the experiences we have in the Netherlands. Our government has officially embraced the target of full fully circular economy in 2050 and a 50% advice 50% reduction overall material use in 2030. By doing so, we not just put a goal for 2013 2050 we also translate that into transition agendas for different sectors so as to ensure that we will be able to reach that goal. And of course, we hope to team up with as many other countries as many other private sector entities as well as as non governmental entities in doing so in working together to reach those those goals. And I would like to add to that that of course no country. And that is the case for the Netherlands as well can become circular in itself. The chains, the production chains, the supply chains, the value chains are such that you cannot do this on your own. You need to do this together. The third priority of the pace leadership is the adoption of circular business models. And I think this one is pretty evident to to most private sector representatives but I think it's a very important one also from the government perspective. And and here it's important that we support also as governments and businesses that are shifting from one of transactions towards an ongoing relationship with customers but also that take products back that take products back of course at the end of their economic life. Keep raw materials in use for as long as possible and reduce reliance on the new raw materials. Carbon pricing often is a way to do so and quite a few private enterprises I think have already done very valuable work on that which which we should together I think look into and and take on board. The fourth priority of the pace leadership is stimulating circular innovations and here here I think the the COVID-19 has I think proven that innovation in general is crucial. I mean, we're all depending on on science and innovations to find us a solution for the health crisis we're in, but it is very much the case as well for the circular economy. We really need to embrace develop and embrace competitive technologies that reduce energy consumption that harvest and reuse materials, but also that scale the availability of green energy resources. For example, not to not to forget the expansion of product life cycles as well as so reduce waste and and that requires further stimulus as well. So in conclusion, I think as we move from towards the recovery from COVID-19 we must of course embrace the future as always and not postpone the inevitable by hanging on to the past. We must reject waste. I think that's pretty clear adopt circularity by leveraging all the knowledge all the power and all the influence we have to push forward on the priorities as I just described on the circular economy. That will take a deep collaboration between business, government and civil society. And we believe the regards will not just be well worth it. Also a stronger ecosystem that will be more resilient for the decades to come will be the result of it. And that is something our planet not just needs our society not just needs but requires. The base platform is is absolutely crucial in accelerating and catalyzing this shift. It brings together the right actors and it continues to be the engine behind the positive work on the circular economy. So as we move forward on this agenda, I could only reiterate the importance of circular transition to achieve our goals and and reiterate my belief our belief that the platform on the acceleration of the circular economy is a very important instrument a very important platform to do so. So in ending, I would like Tony also through you thank the World Economic Forum for the being the driving force behind pace for for many years already for for David and his team in really bringing bringing it further in the in the last year or so. And I hope to gather with you and the others participating today but also the other partners in pace, we can, we can bring forward that agenda that the, and the world so desperately needs. Thank you very much. Thank you, role. I think one thing that's that's very clear within the pace communities we have leaders and I think Antonio enrolled are great examples of that of setting some bold future standards for us all to look at and so thank you to Antonio rolled for setting the stage here and ensuring we have the context and inspiration we need to act.