The World Resources Forum 2021 “A Green Deal for Sustainable Resources”, co-hosted by the Ministry for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) of the Republic of Ghana and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), is now open for registrations. WRF2021 will take place on October 12-14, in an innovative hybrid format: three days of online sessions and two in-person small-scale events in Switzerland (October 13th) and Ghana (October 14th, in close collaboration with our partner GIZ). Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the first hybrid WRF conference with a rich program of panel debates, keynotes, workshops and scientific sessions fully accessible online, making it possible for participants to join and interact from all over the world. Find more information about WRF2021 below and register here!

WRF2021: the first WRF hybrid event

Since its inaugural event in 2012, the World Resources Forum Association has hosted its flagship annual conference around the world with the aim of bringing together a multi-stakeholder audience from policy, science, industry and civil society to discuss the most pressing challenges and co-create innovative solutions for the governance, management and use of natural resources. After previous conferences in Davos and Geneva (Switzerland), Beijing (China), Arequipa (Peru), Sydney (Australia), San Jose (Costarica) and Antwerp (Belgium), WRF2021 will be the first WRF conference ever being held in an innovative hybrid format. The program will unfold over three days of online sessions (afternoon CET zone, 13.00-17.00), with two small-scale in-person events organised in Zürich (Switzerland) in the morning of October 13th  and in Accra(Ghana) in the morning of October 14th. All the sessions – including the ones taking place during the in-person events in Switzerland and Ghana – will be accessible on a dedicated virtual event platform Whova, curated by the World Resources Forum Association. While this hybrid model was primarily born as a response to the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it opens up new avenues for future WRF Conferences with greater global accessibility and a lower environmental footprint.

What to expect at WRF2021

With the conference dates quickly approaching, the WRF2021 team is in full swing for the finalisation of the conference planning, making sure all the details are taken care of to provide you with a memorable and valuable experience. All the information, including full agenda and line-up of speakers, will be publicly available at the beginning of September, but we can already give you a small teaser to get an idea of what to expect at WRF2021!

Under the overarching theme of “A Green Deal for Sustainable Resources”, WRF2021 will shine a light on the resource requirements and implications underpinning the global green transition, as stated in international agreements and agendas such as the Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal, the Africa Green Stimulus Programme, and the Sustainable Development Agenda. As many of the technologies and infrastructures necessary to facilitate the shift to a low-carbon economy will require significant mineral and metal inputs, it is of paramount importance to ensure that the rising demand for this type of resources does not translate into unsustainable pressure into fragile natural ecosystems around the world. This is why issues of resource governance, management and use come to play a key role to ensure that the green transition will take place in a truly sustainable and fair manner.

Such global context calls for an integrated and systemic approach where all the environmental, social, economic and geo-political implications are taken into account and properly assessed at all stages of the resources value chain: from extraction to use and (post-use) recovery. Following this logic, WRF2021 will consist of three conference tracks:

• Primary Resources: Fair Resource Extraction for a quality future
• Secondary Resources: From Waste to Resources for development
• Circular Economy: Designing circular systems for resources

Topics within the three conference tracks will be discussed by stakeholders from policy, science, industry and civil society, in order to delve into the most pressing challenges and set the conditions to co-design innovative solutions. A small selection of confirmed speakers include Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga (Swiss Federal Councillor), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie (Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation for the Republic of Ghana), Ms. Inger Andersen (UNEP Executive Director), and Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal (Global Leader of Climate & Energy at WWF). The workshop programme will be enriched by a large group of international partner organisations, including the African Circular Economy Alliance, African Circular Economy Network, European Commission, Ghana National Plastic Partnership, GIZ, Global Opportunities for the Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs), Green Industry Platform, International Resource Panel, One Planet Network, SEED, World Bank Group & many more!

Register now: fees and conditions

Access to the three-days online conference is subject to a fee. The fee for regular participants is 150 Euro. Discounted options are available for citizens of African Union Member States (50 Euro) and for students (50 Euro). The conference fee will give online access to all the conference sessions over the three days, including the ones taking place in-person in Switzerland and Ghana, which will be live streamed into the virtual event platform. For holders of the online conference tickets, access to the in-person events in Switzerland and Ghana is free of charge, but subject to conditions. Please read carefully the conditions below before making any travel arrangement.

Switzerland Event – October 13th

On the morning of October 13th (9.00am-13.00pm CET), WRF2021 will host an in-person event at the Empa Akademie conference venue, in Dübendorf, Switzerland. This event will be the opportunity for Swiss and European stakeholders to meet face-to-face to discuss topics within the conference track of primary resources. The actual capacity for the event is still to be confirmed in light of the latest COVID-19 related developments, together with the protocol for admission.

For those who are interested in participating in this event as well as in the online event, please select the ticket category “Online Event + Swiss Event”. The ticket has no additional fee compared to the category “Online Event”. Selecting this ticket will reserve you a spot for the in-person event, but will not serve as a confirmation of your participation. Following your ticket purchase, we will get in touch with you shortly after in order to confirm your participation. Please wait for our confirmation before making any travel arrangement.

Ghana Event – October 14th 

On the morning of October 14th, WRF2021 in close collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, main partner and sponsor of the Ghana Event, will host an in-person event at the Fiesta Royale conference venue in Accra, Ghana. This event will be the opportunity for international stakeholders to meet face-to-face to discuss topics within the conference track of secondary resources. At present, due to the uncertainties related to the actual capacity of the event venue, this is an invitation-only event and tickets cannot be purchased on the WRF virtual event platform. We are glad to communicate, however, that all the sessions will be live-streamed online for participants to access from all over the world.

Got questions or special requests? Get in touch with us!

Our team is here for you, ready to answer any questions you may have. If you are an organisation wishing to purchase a tickets bundle, write us to learn about special discounts available. Moreover, while access fees are necessary to financially support this not-for-profit conference, the World Resources Forum Association pays a lot of attention to the accessibility and inclusivity of its conferences. In case you wished to participate to the online conference but were not in the position to pay for the conference fees, you are invited to get in touch with our team to discuss opportunities for a free ticket. Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with a strong motivation and commitment to participate as essential requirements for a positive feedback. Finally, for those submitting a scientific abstract for presentation during the conference, your registration through the dedicated ConfTool portal will be automatically valid for the Whova virtual event platform.

Get in touch with us at wrf2021@wrforum.org

Register now!

We’re looking forward to welcoming you online, in Switzerland and Ghana!

Your WRF2021 Team