CRSD at the World Economic Forum: Powering Circularity and the Basel Convention with Complex Systems Thinking

Geneva, Switzerland – 29 April, 2025 - Professor Nazia Habib, Director of the Centre for  Resilience and Sustainable Development, served as a distinguished opening speaker at the Private Dinner – Unleashing Circularity Through the Basel Convention. 

This exclusive side event, organized alongside the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions COPs to convene global leaders from business, government, and civil society to discuss critical pathways for advancing circularity in waste management under international environmental agreements.

Professor Habib joined Clemence Schmid, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership at the World Economic Forum, and Paul Hagen, Principal at Beveridge & Diamond, to set the tone for the evening’s discussions.Professor Habib spotlights the transformative role of systems thinking in unlocking responsibilities, resources, and practical applications for the Basel Convention across global value chains. She calls for bold multilateral cooperation, responsible innovation, and systemic solutions to drive circular economy transitions that are both environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. After her remarks, participants dive into action-oriented roundtables tackling urgent challenges—from the circularity of e-waste and plastics to textiles and chemicals. These discussions feed directly into shaping global trade rules and strengthening environmental safeguards through the Basel Convention and complementary frameworks. Hosted at the World Economic Forum headquarters in Cologny, Geneva, the event provides a powerful platform for forging solutions at the intersection of trade, environment, and sustainable development.

For more information about the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions COPs, please visit: Official BRS COP website.