Cities Frontline Speaker Series - Circular Economies: Growth & Resilience for SMEs
When
Apr 17, 2025
Time
09:00 AM
Where
Online
About the series
The Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series began in 2020 as a rapid response to the pandemic and its devastating effects on cities worldwide. Since then, it has grown into a leading platform for urban resilience, convening more than 13,000 participants across 90+ sessions.
In 2025, as climate change, rapid urbanization, and growing cascading risks increase pressure on cities, the series will take a deeper dive into critical challenges, including extreme heat, water resilience, energy resilience, and biodiversity loss.
Discussions will also explore the role of nature-based solutions, participatory design, and digital tools in building resilience, alongside the urgent need for sustainable funding models to scale these efforts. By bringing together experts, city representatives, and practitioners, the series will spotlight thought leaders shaping the most urgent urban resilience debates today.
About this Session
As global climate challenges intensify and the cost of living rises, what we consume—and the systems that support that consumption—have never mattered more. To move beyond the traditional take-make-waste economy, circular business models such as repair, rental, resale, redistribution and refill offer a path toward a more regenerative and resilient economy.
A shift toward circularity is not just an environmental necessity—it’s an opportunity to create jobs, regenerate cities and strengthen local economies. However, despite growing momentum, globally the current economy is only 8.6% circular, leaving a significant gap to close. Given the central role of payments in modern economies, circular digital payment capabilities can help enable consumers and small businesses to adopt circular behaviors and models. SMEs are at the heart of local economies, and integrating circularity into their business strategies has the potential to drive sustainable growth.
In the third session of Cities on the Frontline of 2025, we bring together a panel that will explore how recommerce and circular business models can create thriving, resilient cities. Speakers will highlight the role of policymakers, small businesses, and digital payments in driving this transition, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead.