MAKATI, Philippines – How can ASEAN, a rapidly expanding regional economy, achieve sustainable growth? Southeast Asian policymakers, business leaders, and stakeholders say a coherent transition to a circular economy is the answer.
At the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy held on 22-23 September, stakeholders across the region forwarded the actualization of frameworks and policies on circular economy to national and local action. “This dialogue is not simply about why the circular economy matters. More importantly, it is about how we make it work in practice,” said Undersecretary Jonas R. Leones of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Particularly, progress in optimizing resource use and material flows in ASEAN was considered an important metric in assessing the impact of circular economy systems to the environment. In his keynote message viewed during the dialogue, DENR Secretary Juan Miguel “Mitch” Cuna said: “A circular economy can reduce pressure on natural resources, strengthen resilience to supply disruptions, improve resource productivity, encourage innovation and investment, and create new opportunities for enterprises and workers.”
The local government sector was seen as an important actualizer of circular economy policies by implementing context-appropriate projects. Government leaders from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam emphasized local governments’ vital role in waste management, infrastructure, procurement, local economic development, service delivery, and community engagement.
Success stories were shared, with local leaders banking on their locality’s unique profile, resources, culture, and needs. “The approach we have developed came from real needs on the ground,” said Dr. Giyatno, S.IP., M.SI. Expert Advisor to the Regent of Ciamis, West Java, Indonesia. Local leaders note, however, that the challenge is ensuring sustainability, to which local leaders respond to by institutionalizing circular economy policies.
“The Philippines is a country of 7,641 islands. Every island needs to have a different solution that works for the communities. This is where us the European Union, under our Global Gateway strategy, are implementing the right space approach. But the starting point is what works for the communities, and I'm very proud to say that the local government units, the mayors, the councilors, their technical teams have looked into how would circular economy work in their constituency, and they came up with a plan together with their people,” said Dr. Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines in his address on the Development Partner Perspective during the Opening Session of the dialogue.
In the session discussions, dialogue stakeholders also recognized the readiness of economies across ASEAN. Enabling systems and implementation harmonization were seen as necessary policy instruments to advance circular economy in the region, given the cross-border nature of circular value chains.
Demand for circular economy products was likewise a focal discussion point in the dialogue, with production in ASEAN needing markets that are ready to purchase and utilize. For this to happen, strengthened coordination is required among economic, environmental, and government actors in ASEAN–a key objective of the dialogue.
In Session 4 of the dialogue, business leaders urged ASEAN policymakers to develop commercially viable and investment-ready circular economy projects and systems. This, according to stakeholders, can help bridge the demand gap for circular economy products and grow investments across the region.
Across ASEAN, dialogue stakeholders emphasized the need for a just transition to a circular economy, ensuring that implementation is people-centered and that citizens are empowered through decent work and skills development. Supporting claims for inclusion is the proper integration of informal waste workers–a call made by stakeholders across the development and government sectors. Inclusive policies, along with skills development were seen as tangible methods to ensure that no one is left behind in implementing circular economy transitions.
“The transition is achieved not simply by introducing circular technologies, but by giving local communities the knowledge, skills, networks, and economic opportunities they need to become long-term actors in the circular economy,” said Dr. Suneerat Fukuda of the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.
Dialogue participants networked with circular economy implementers and drivers in the Circular Economy Solutions and Demonstration Area, which showcased practical, inclusive, innovative, and scalable circular economy solutions from ASEAN Member States, local governments, the private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders.
Led by the DENR under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairship, the dialogue was supported by the European Union–Philippines Green Economy Partnership, GIZ, United Nations Development Programme, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD), Expertise France, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - the implementing agency of Plastic Reboot. The European Union-Philippines Green Economy Partnership is a €60 million priority programme of the European Union under its Global Gateway initiative, with a component co-funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and implemented by GIZ.