About
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a 44-year-old non-profit global public research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, India, has been working in the environmental governance and policy space. One of the Global South's leading think tanks, CSE has taken the lead in establishing and fostering The Global Forum of Cities for Circular Economy (GFCCE), comprising 18 African countries. This initiative aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences among member nations to promote sustainable solid waste management practices. The Forum also offers need-based capacity building and technical assistance to the member states for strengthening their solid waste management ecosystems.
GFCCE 1 - Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in July 2022
This crucial event marked the launch of the GFCCE Forum, and brought together senior government officials from 10 African nations
GFCCE 2 - Held in Dar es Salaam once again in January 2023
It brought together delegates from nine African countries alongside distinguished guests like the High Commissioner of India in Tanzania. CSE released another report titled "Plastic Waste Management in Africa: An Overview”.
GFCCE 3 – Held in India in May 2023
CSE hosted the third GFCCE workshop-cum-exposure visit with senior representatives from 19 countries and India for a south-south cooperation endeavor. The event included a comprehensive training on sustainable solid waste management, and an exposure visit (Pune Municipal Corporation) to showcase Indian best practices under the flagship Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0.
GFCCE 4 - Held in Ghana, November 2023
The event highlighted collaboration and knowledge sharing to address Africa’s solid waste challenges, bringing together 14 nations alongside host Ghana. CSE introduced the “Profiling and Ranking African Cities on Solid Waste Management” toolkit, and an MoU was signed with Ghana’s EPA to strengthen regional waste management efforts.
GFCCE 5 - Dar es salaam, February 2024
The NEMC and CSE co-hosted a capacity building workshop in Dar es Salaam with officials from 12 cities and six regional administrations. The event focused on elements of sustainable solid waste management practices coupled with detailed orientation of the ranking and profiling toolkit.
GFCCE 6 Eswatini, August 2024
The event trained local officials and stakeholders in circular economy practices, drawing on India’s Clean India Mission and focusing on municipal byelaws, waste management, and the Global Plastic Treaty. It also introduced a CSE toolkit to assess sanitation performance, supported by an MoU between CSE and EEA to advance sustainable waste management in Eswatini.
GFCCE 7, South Africa, January, 2025
The two-day workshop focused on source segregation, waste minimization, informal sector integration, EPR implementation, stronger bye-laws, improved waste data, BWG management, decentralized models, and cost-efficient collection systems. It also featured the launch of “Towards Circularity: Good Practices in Solid Waste Management in Africa – A Compendium”.
African Member Countries -18
AAETI conducts its trainings through nine Schools (or departments), each of which focuses on a specific area of interest and a set of subjects. These Schools are:
 
14 Common Agenda for Action
1. Waste Quantification and characterization
2. Separation (segregation) of waste at source
3. Redesign concessionaire agreement
4. Investing on behavior change communication
5. Optimizing cost on waste collection and transportation
6. Prioritizing decentralized approach
7. Integration of informal sector
8. Manage Bulk Waste Generators
9. Using Municipal Byelaw as a legal instrument to address segregation and home composting
10. Ban dumping of bio-degradable and combustible waste
11. Implement the “polluter pays” principle for plastic waste management
12. Impose landfill tax
13. Closure of existing dumpsites
14. Developing tools for setting up a baseline to rank the cities in the global south capacity building and systems development
CSE Global Report