Circular ASEAN

The concept of a ‘circular economy’ imagines a new model for production and consumption, one that addresses the waste, emissions and other negative externalities through enhanced design choices and the reuse, repair, recycling and recovery of products. The circular economy is juxtaposed against the tradition ‘linear’ economy, where materials and energy are inputs into production that leads directly to emissions and waste after consumption. At the core of the circular economy concept is the idea that materials and energy should be conserved and re-used or re-purposed to the greatest extent possible, including in some cases advocating the choice not to produce or consume at all.

Circularity is gaining momentum globally, becoming a core component of discussions at organisations such as the World Economic Forum and the United Nations as well as being the underpinning for legislative and regulatory action by the European Union.

While circularity is a relatively nascent unifying approach to sustainability in Southeast Asia – individual programmes and policies to address waste, emissions, etc. notwithstanding – in 2021 ASEAN adopted the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community. The framework acts as a starting point for policy development and dialogue across ASEAN and with multiple government, private sector and civil society stakeholders. At the APEC summit in 2022, leaders agreed to the Bangkok goals on the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy, supporting the use of technology and innovation to create value, reduce waste and promote sustainable consumption. ASEAN has since also created the ASEAN BCG Network to further these goals in the region. Both of these frameworks provide a solid, if high-level, policy base for national-level circular economy policies.

Circularity provides a guiding set of principles to address a wide range of environmental issues facing countries in Southeast Asia, including climate change, excess waste, pollution, deforestation, intense urbanisation, and unrestrained resource extraction. There is significant opportunity to adopt circular concepts into the region’s next phase of development, driven by a combination of new innovative technologies, best practice policy, and political commitment to sustainability from governments, the private sector, investors and civil society.

The ’Circular ASEAN’ programme will explore best practice policy for building the circular economy in Southeast Asia, build the economic case for circularity in ASEAN, and convene stakeholders and policymakers to drive the conversation on circularity.