The African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) was conceived in 2016 during the World Economy Forum on Africa in Kigali and formally launched at the COP 23 in Bonn in 2018. The Alliance is a government-led coalition of African nations with a mission to spur Africa’s transformation into a circular economy that delivers economic growth, jobs, and positive environmental outcomes.

Dalberg currently supports the African Development Bank in managing the secretariat of the ACEA. Within the Programme Management Office, we coordinate the activities of the Alliance in line with its mandate involving policy support for member countries, business support initiatives and general advocacy and awareness creation for a circular economy on the continent. Furthermore, the team facilitates engagement to develop a flagship report that identifies the opportunities for a circular economy on the African continent and has produced work plans around those areas.

The team’s mandate includes managing the leadership network of the Alliance. This involves conducting outreaches and onboarding new member countries and strategic partners, defining the status of countries in the CE journey, and identifying country-specific needs. We also coordinate and liaise with financial and technical partners within the public and private sector to implement circular economy interventions in African countries, including support in designing country-specific circular economy roadmaps and the set-up of an African SME incubation program.