ASEAN states agree to step up efforts on plastic pollution

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) used its annual summit in Lao PDR to express its concern over the detrimental impacts of marine plastic debris and plastic pollution on the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development and the urgent need to address the problem. The ASEAN countries – Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam – thus adopted the ASEAN Declaration on Plastic Circularity to raise its commitment to addressing the plastic pollution problem in the region. The declaration states that solving plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, requires a full-life-cycle approach, taking into account national circumstances and capabilities. This includes curbing plastic waste generation at its sources on land and water bodies and preventing its leakage into the environment including through industries. It states that a stronger effort needs to be made to reduce the use of single-use, avoidable, and “problematic” plastic products to effectively address plastic pollution throughout the full life cycle of plastics and improve resource efficiency and circularity. In October 2023, the regional group held the ASEAN Conference on Combating Plastic Pollution in Jakarta, Indonesia. At this meeting, stakeholders discussed initiatives to support and create an “enabling environment” for addressing plastic pollution in the ASEAN region, it said at the time. On the back of this, the group agreed to launch a declaration to demonstrate the commitment of ASEAN member states to continue efforts to address plastic pollution. Key measures will be to enhance plastic product design based on circular economy principles as well as scientific knowledge and assessment towards promoting environmentally sound and sustainable plastics. It will also push strategies for extending the useful life of plastic products, such as through reuse and refill, which can reduce plastic waste and increase its circularity. Also promoted will be research, innovation, development, and the use of non-plastic substitutes, such as ecofriendly products and bio-based materials, at scale by taking into consideration the best available science and knowledge of local communities through cooperation mechanisms. Environmentally sound plastic waste management systems, including generation, collection, transportation, recycling, safe disposal, and other diversion methods, taking into account the waste hierarchy, which can tackle plastic waste at its source in a direct and effective way, will also be pushed. The declaration commits member states to tackle the leakage and releases of plastic products from both land-based and sea-based sources into the environment. It also aims to foster collaboration across public and private sectors, as well as relevant stakeholders, through initiatives such as national awareness raising and clean-up campaigns, which can tackle existing plastic pollution and promote a sustainable plastic value chain. The ASEAN declaration also said that it supports the finalisation of a new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, taking into consideration Rio principles such as respective capacities and national circumstances, as appropriate. The ASEAN states also commended the ASEAN ministers on agriculture and forestry (AMAF) for their statement made last October that addressed crop burning and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices through the implementation of the ASEAN Guidelines on the Reduction of Crop Burning. This includes organic farming and precision agriculture. “Relevant stakeholders are expected to collaborate closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to identify and implement regional and national programmes that support these priorities,” said ASEAN last week. Risk managers in the region and worldwide will also be pleased to hear that the ministers committed to strengthening supply chain resilience in the region. “We adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Enhancing Supply Chain Connectivity, which will enhance efforts to strengthen supply chain efficiency and resilience in the region, bringing together relevant frameworks and initiatives on trade, transport, logistics and supply chains, towards creating a region with seamless, competitive and resilient supply chains,” read the chairman’s statement. It also commended the completion of the Review of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AFAIPC). “Reaffirming our commitment to advancing ASEAN’s intellectual property (IP) ecosystem on the global stage, we welcomed the in-principle adoption by the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) of the recommendation to upgrade the AFAIPC. This upgrading of the AFAIPC will be the cornerstone for enhancing regional IP capacity, positioning ASEAN as a more innovative, competitive, sustainable and resilient economy, as well as broadening and deepening regional integration to ensure our region thrives in the evolving global landscape. Additionally, we reaffirmed our commitment to work with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to implement the relevant actions of the AEC Strategic Plan in principle,” read the chairman’s statement.

ASEAN states agree to step up efforts on plastic pollution

Supply chain resilience and intellectual property also on the agenda

Want to read this article?

Read Next

IQUW launches active assailant cover

Talanx results boosted by HDI Global’s 43% jump in net income

VIG Re confirms Faucret as head of Western Europe

Spike in cloud service outages driven by Google Cloud downtimes

Canopius Group appoints group risk director

IQUW launches active assailant cover

Talanx results boosted by HDI Global’s 43% jump in net income

VIG Re confirms Faucret as head of Western Europe

Spike in cloud service outages driven by Google Cloud downtimes

Canopius Group appoints group risk director

Keep yourself informed

Sign up for Commercial Risk’s newsletters

Want to read this article?

Read Next

IQUW launches active assailant cover

Talanx results boosted by HDI Global’s 43% jump in net income

VIG Re confirms Faucret as head of Western Europe

Spike in cloud service outages driven by Google Cloud downtimes

Canopius Group appoints group risk director

Related Articles

Keep yourself informed

Sign up for Commercial Risk’s newsletters