Circular Economies: A New Business Model to Power Development

Setting up circular economies for renewable energy equipment, as a crucial part of the just energy transition, can boost economies by creating jobs and increasing productivity. USAID’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) program is working to support a transition from a linear economy for renewable energy equipment to a circular economy.

This presentation will make the case for a circular economy and explore how a circular economy is creating sustainable businesses and local jobs as well as cultivating economic opportunities throughout Asia.

Monica Raphita Simarmata

Monica Raphita Simarmata is an Energy Sector Associate at Tetra Tech managing USAID’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) work stream to promote a circular economy for clean energy. Monica has over five years of professional experience in energy sector reform, infrastructure planning, and emission reduction initiatives.

Monica holds a Master of Environmental Management with a concentration in Energy and Environment from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.

Technological Innovation for Deep Decarbonization of Heavy Industry

Industry represents ~40% of global energy consumption and achieving deep decarbonisation of heavy industries, such as iron and steel, cement and chemicals, requires a range of innovative technological solutions from circular economy approaches to fuel-switching to CCUS. Accelerating the commercialisation of such solutions is both a challenge and an opportunity, and the presentation will cover examples of what the UK is doing both domestically and internationally (through international climate finance) to support countries in Asia-Pacific to decarbonise industry.