3rd Regional Dialogue in Central Asia: Scaling up the Circular Economy in Central Asia – through Business Leadership, Innovation and Financial Incentives

WHEN:  9-10 April 2026     I    TIME:  9:00 - 19:00 (Tashkent Time)    I   VENUE: TBC Tashkent, Uzbekistan   I   by invitation only event 

Background:

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in circular economy among governments in Central Asia. There is increasing acknowledgement of the vision of circular economy where the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible, notably by focusing on waste reduction, resource efficiency, and designing systems that keep products and materials in use.

The circular economy is a key pillar of the European Green Deal, EU’s strategy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the Global Gateway, EU’s positive offer to accelerate sustainable investments in partner countries in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable consumption and production, along with the transition to a circular economy, are integral to Global Gateway’s focus on sustainable infrastructure for climate action, green transition and support to sustainable value chains. By fostering policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, and legislative engagement, SWITCH-Asia connects Central Asia with the Global Gateway and supports its transition toward circular value chains - enhancing regional sustainability, economic resilience, and alignment with international and EU policies.

The Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy of the Central Asia Parliamentarian Platform was designed to create conditions for further strengthening cooperation on the implementation of circular economy principles in the region and thereby nationally. Two successful regional dialogues have been convened so far. Both dialogues achieved significant results by bringing together parliamentarians from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of governments, the European Union, CAREC, the business community, expert organisations and specialists from the SWITCH-Asia Programme. 

The first dialogue, held in Bishkek in May 2025, contributed to developing a shared understanding of circular economy (CE) and sustainable consumption and production (SCP) concepts. The second event, held in October 2025 in Almaty, focused on “Strengthening Policy Ambitions in Sustainable Consumption and Production and Circular Economy.” The Parliamentarians also made valuable contributions to the development of the Central Asia Circular Economy Partnership Framework during the second dialogue.

Building on this momentum, the Third Regional Dialogue will focus on practical application of circular economy principles through business engagement, investment and innovation. This dialogue will further explore how government push complemented with private sector and academic collaboration on innovation can help steer countries to high-value sectors and quality of life. It will also address critical issues of finance for circular economy undertaken both by public and private sectors. In addition to in-room discussion and speeches, the event will include a field visit in Tashkent that demonstrates practices of circular economy principles, offering participants a practical example of circularity in action. The Third Regional Dialogue will make a significant contribution to preparations for the 2026 Regional Environmental Summit in Kazakhstan. Discussions in Tashkent will form the basis for further development of the Central Asia Circular Economy Partnership Framework, the official presentation of which is planned for the 2026 summit. This creates a direct link between ongoing parliamentary engagement and long-term regional environmental governance. 

Invited participants:

EU INTPA HQ, EU Delegations in Central Asia, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component (PSC), Members of the Parliament (MPs), SWITCH-Asia National Focal Points (NFPs) in Central Asia, other representatives of governments in the Central Asian region, Partners and stakeholders of the SWITCH-Asia Technical Advisories, relevant international organisations and projects, representatives of CAREC.

Objectives:

• Promote and Enhance Regional Cooperation: Facilitate knowledge exchange and discussions on regional challenges and opportunities for adopting circular economy practices in Central Asia.
• Strengthen Parliamentary Engagement: Equip parliamentarians with the tools and knowledge needed to advocate for and legislate CE policies in their respective countries.
• Develop Actionable Policy Recommendations: Provide a platform to discuss policy recommendations, legislative reforms, and national action plans for integrating CE into key sectors.
• Facilitate Cross-issue Discussions: Venture into finance and innovation cross-linkages with circular economy, and identify how each could be exploited to expand the size of the circular economy.
• Facilitate Engagement between Policy Makers and Businesses: Engage businesses and communities in showcasing circular solutions to MPs, strengthening mutual understanding and fostering collaboration for effective CE policies and investments.

Tentative Agenda