Anna Griffin
Chief Sustainability Officer, ex-PwC Director, Vice-Chair for Emirates Green Building Council Women’s Network, UAE
As a Chief Sustainability Officer, Anna is a recognized leader in driving the ESG agenda and sustainability strategy, including Net Zero and Carbon Neutrality roadmaps. She leads decarbonization and responsible business transformation while integrating the ESG principles into the corporate strategy and operations. Anna is passionate about advancing climate action, scalable low-carbon solutions, innovation, and sustainable growth to position businesses as leaders in the global transition toward a low-carbon economy. Her work covers the integration of renewable energy solutions, circular economy practices, and net zero strategies, ensuring organizations remain at the forefront of the green transition towards low-carbon economy. Passionate about collaborative impact, Anna engages in advocacy and actively engages with stakeholders, industry partners, and government entities to develop innovative, scalable solutions for a more sustainable future.
She advocates for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), having founded an industry-specific platform to elevate and support women in traditionally male-dominated sectors. Additionally, she serves as Vice-Chair of the Women’s Network of the Emirates Green Building Council, further amplifying her impact in driving gender equity and leadership in sustainability.
Previously a Director of Global Operations at PwC and a former Chief People & Sustainability Officer, Anna’s career spans leadership roles in the steel, energy, oil and gas, and mining sectors, with experience at global companies such as BHP Billiton, De Beers, and APLNG. Anna is a published author and holds an MBA, a BA in International Relations, and currently pursuing a Master’s in Sustainability at Harvard University.
1. What international partnerships or cross-border collaborations have effectively driven circular economy outcomes? Are there best practices others can replicate?
The circular economy cannot be achieved in isolation, and it is an inherently a global issue. Material, products and waste travel across borders each day and so we must have solutions that are global but equally adapted to the local geographies. Cross-border collaborations and international partnerships are critical as they can accelerate transformative progress towards circularity, enable knowledge sharing, align policies and build joint infrastructure. But they can also serve as replicable best practices and models that countries can adopt.
We have seen a number of various well-intentioned pledges over the years that not always bring tangible results. Bridging the gap between ambition and execution is crucial to drive green and circular transformation and gain real change. There have been a number of various global and national partnerships and collaborations that aim to bring that change to light. For example, PACE (Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy), a global public-private collaboration launched by the World Economic Forum. It convenes governments, businesses, and NGOs to scale circular solutions in electronics, plastics, textiles, and food. Notably, its partnership with the Nigerian government and companies like HP has supported the development of a formal e-waste recycling sector in Lagos, transforming a challenge into a circular opportunity while creating thousands of jobs.
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), hosted by the World Resource Institute, is yet another great blueprint for cross-border collaboration. Working with countries such as Ghana, Indonesia, Vietnam, and others, GPAP supports national plastic action plans through multi-stakeholder engagement, data-driven roadmaps, and financial models that integrate informal waste workers. These efforts are showing measurable results, for example Indonesia’s commitment to reduce ocean plastic leakage by 70% by 2025. At 2025 Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions COPs, under the theme ‘Make Visible the Invisible: Sound Management of Chemicals and Wastes, GPAP convened and contributed to a series of high-level events aimed at aligning policy and scaling circular solutions. As plastics continue to intersect with pressing global challenges, such as climate change, public health, and biodiversity loss, the GPAP emphasizes the need for system-wide innovation, inclusive policy frameworks, and cross-sector collaboration.
An impactful collaboration is the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) led by the EU. Under the European Green Deal, this strategy aims to decouple growth from resource use and transition the EU towards more regenerative economic model. Member states collaborate on hormonized policies, product standards, and extended producer responsibility schemes. The EU Battery Regulation, for example, sets unified requirements for the reuse, recycling, and traceability of battery materials across the bloc. Complementing CEAP is the Sustainable Product Policy Framework, including e revised EU EcoDesign Directive which mandates that the products must be more durable, repairable, and recyclable. Also, in Europe the Shared Green Deal project under Horizon 2020 brings together 22 organizations across 19 countries to co-create community-level circular economy solutions. It focuses on social inclusion, behavioral change, and transitions to sustainable consumption models.
There are many good lessons and best practices essential if we want to scale the circular economy. For example, private-public collaboration through bringing together governments, businesses, and NGOs to scale circular solutions and forming alliances targeting sector-specify alleges or working cross-sectorial. Also, data-driven roadmaps that can guide national action plans and guide counties to design measurable, outcome-based strategies. Inclusive Policy Frameworks are essential to align regulations and promote product durability, recyclability, reuse, remanufacturing, and waste-out designs, which can enforce design requirement and solutions throughout the value chain. Another best practice that can be a powerful driver for change is the local engagement and behavioural shift, which can lead to a significant reductions of emissions and waste management. For example, community-driven approach emphasising social inclusion and behavioural change, especially in multi-cultural settings.
Effective circular economy solutions require a balance of global coordination and local adaptation. International partnerships and multi stakeholder collaborations provide not only blueprints but also practical lessons in aligning ambition with execution.
2. What technological innovations are transforming circular economy practices globally? From AI to blockchain, what’s driving change?
Only 7.2% of the global economy is circular, yet it represents a global economic opportunity valued at over US$4.3 trillion. As countries and organizations race to decarbonize and decouple growth from resource consumption, the introduction of low-carbon and circular economy principles across operations and into supply chains is a critical thing to do. Circular business models play a critical role in reshaping how we manage resources by helping to slow, narrow, or even close material loops. 80% of product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage, as such we need to embed circular design principles from the outset allowing us to extend product lifespans, minimize waste, and maximize resource efficiency. This will lead to significant cost savings, lower emissions, and reduced resource consumption.
Technology has been accelerating the shift from linear to circular models and digital innovation has become an engine driving circular economy practices worldwide.
AI play a critical role in optimizing circularity. In manufacturing, it can optimize material flows, detect inefficiencies, improve design for disassembly, and drive precision in waste management. For example, companies such as TOMRA use computer vision and machine learning to separate complex waste streams with remarkable accuracy, which boosts recycling rates and purity. They also provide solutions for collection and reverse vending that aim to change society’s habits and keep valuable resources in continuous loop of use and reuse. In product design, AI platforms using generative design tools help engineers create components using less material and consider disassembly and recyclability from the outset. Also, digital twin technology can enable asset owners to model entire product or build lifecycles, making it easier to simulate circular design strategies and optimize reuse potential before construction even begins. By predicting product life spans and simulating end-of-life recovery, AI supports the transition from linear consumption to closed-loop systems.
Blockchain technology is transforming supply chain transparency and traceability across the supply chain. It can ensure verification of recycled content, prevent greenwashing, and create secure, transparent records of material provenance and lifecycle data. Many companies now use blockchain to trace the origin, compassion, authenticity, sustainability and environmental footprint of materials, enabling manufacturers and consumers make more informed decisions.
IoT (Internet of Things) devices also play a critical role in slowing the resource loops through extending product lifespan and reducing waste. For example, Philips’ “Lighting-as-a-Service” model uses sensors for predictive maintenance and reducing consumption. IoT-enabled set tracking allows smarted usage, reuse, and refurbishment, for example Caterpillar’s equipment fleet. Circular-by-design models that apply ‘design-for-sharing’ use technology or design that enables more intense use of the product, can be easier to maintain and repair, and are engineered for longer lifespan. Also, sharing platforms aiming to create “Sharing Economy’, from car sharing, to residences, co-working, and more. These digital marketplaces and platform are shifting the ownership model enabling customers to reduce food and fashion waste (e.g. Too Good To Go, or ThredUp), as well as facilitate reuse of commercial equipment in hospitality and healthcare (e.g. Loopcycle).
There are some technological breakthroughs seen in closing the loop in materials historically destined for landfills. For example, advanced recycling technologies using enzymatic recycling of PET plastics breaking them down into their monomers for reuse in new bottles, offering near-infinite recyclability without loss of quality. There are many other examples of technology being used to advance circularity worldwide. Using technology can eliminate waste by closing the loop in production, using renewable resources and integrating outputs and by-products into production. Technology is no longer a future enabler, but it is a catalyst for circular economy transformation. Our responsibility as sustainability leaders is to ensure that these innovations scale inclusively and equitably, aligning digital advancements with environmental and social regeneration.
3. What circular economic opportunities are emerging in the GCC and wider Middle East? Are there sectors showing particular promise?
There are significant shifts in how governments and industries across GCC and Middle East are embracing circular economy principles. It is no longer a niche concept, but a strategic imperative, and central to national agendas and private-sector strategies. The region’s commitment to circular economy is evident in initiatives like the UAE’s Circular Economy Policy, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the Zero Waste initiative launched at COP28, and targets set in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0 under Paris Agreement.
Under the UAE’s NDC 3.0, the nation commits to reducing emissions by 40% by 2030 and outlines the Circular Policy Policy 2021-2031 to support this target through resource efficiencies, sustainable consumption, and production. Saudi Arabia, in its latest NDC, emphasizes waste diversion and the circular use of materials as key levers for achieving its emissions targets and net-zero ambition by 2060.
Governments are launching frameworks to enable this shift. The UAE’s Circular Economy Committee, chaired by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, has prioritised four sectors: manufacturing, food, infrastructure, and transport. In Saudi Arabia, the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) are working toward diverting 82% of waste from landfills by 2035.
Many sectors and companies are also adopting circular economy principles in their operations. We see some positive shifts in construction sector, which accounts for more than half of regional waste in some GCC counties. Circular practices such as modular design, reuse of materials, use of low-carbon cement and steel are gaining traction and are being implemented. Projects like Masdar City, Sustainable City Dubai, NEOM are embedding circularity from the design stage, and adopting smart urban development and sustainability approach.
The region is also making some progress in tackling plastic waste. Initiatives like the Zero Waste announced at COP28 underscores a regional pivot toward reusable systems. Also, regional FMCG companies are collaborating under platforms like the GPAP (Global Plastic Action Partnership) to redesign packaging, implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, pilot take-back programs, and support innovation in biodegradable materials. However, more action will need to be taken in this area to see tangible results. Water reuse and circular agriculture initiative are also seen across the region. Water-scarce nations in the Middle East are investing in circular solutions for water reuse and regenerative agriculture. Treated wastewater is increasingly used for irrigation, as well as vertical framing that reduce land and water use. In Qatar and Oman, for example, public-private partnerships are scaling close-loop agriculture practices that enhance food security and reduce dependence on imports.
Circularity is no longer an idealistic concept, but it is a pragmatic path to resilience, innovation and competitiveness. It has a significant potential in decarbonising the region and accelerating transition to green economy, ultimately meeting the Paris Agreement goals. But it will require not only a commitment and action from the governments and private companies, but also a behavioural shifts in the transportation, energy, and food sectors. By scaling public-private partnerships, aligning incentives, and embedding circular principles in procurement, design, and regulations, the region has the opportunity to lead the circular growth. The future of the Middle East will be shaped not by how much it consumes, but how it was implement waste-out designs, and how intelligently it reuses, regenerates, and reinvents.