I really want this to be an Alliance where we have achieved new policies and new projects.
Over ten days, the team reconnected with partners Impact Hub Kathmandu (IHK) and Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN), and met local entrepreneurs driving the Roots of Circularity program. From classrooms to startups, the visit showed how circularity is becoming part of everyday life in Nepal.
At WCN, the focus was on education. Mapping how universities handle curriculum integration revealed long approval processes but also practical entry points through research projects and guest lectures. “Students are increasingly requesting environmental science as an elective subject,” staff noted, showing demand for sustainability learning is already growing.
Equally inspiring were the Bagmati entrepreneurs. From upcycled textiles to natural products, they are proving that circular business models can thrive. One entrepreneur reflected:
This [Roots of Circularity] community gives us the courage to try circular models that once felt impossible.
Although weather disrupted travel to Lumbini, the IHA team met with the President of the Butwal Chamber of Commerce. His message was both hopeful and urgent:
In Lumbini, many entrepreneurs start out of necessity rather than opportunity. Without stronger support systems, too many risk burning out, or worse.
The visit closed with clear priorities: prepare for the next Conclave on Circularity, launch the mass awareness campaign on CE, and strengthen the Green Civil Society Alliance. More than anything, it highlighted a shared commitment to turn the circular economy from a concept into lived reality.
